Enchaining
by thisiswhyihatemylife
Summary: "…he had tricked his ex-girlfriend and had cheated on her with her younger brother; nevertheless, couldn't people mind their own business?" Naruto and Sasuke finally reunite. But their union causes sets of problems, starting with Naruto's overprotective mother. Seq. to Enthralling.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, its characters and/or ideas. All rights belong to Masashi Kishimoto.

**Full Summary**: "…he had tricked his ex-girlfriend and had cheated on her with her younger brother; nevertheless, couldn't people mind their own business?" After a year and a half of separation, Naruto and Sasuke finally reunite. But their union causes sets of problems, including their volatile relationship, new love rivals, and Naruto's overprotective mother. Sequel to Enthralling. Yaoi. AU.

**Warnings**: Censored Violence, Obsession, Adult Language, Mature Themes, OOC Moments, and a Character Death.

**Main Pairing:** SasuNaru

**Other Pairings:** SaiNaru (mostly one-sided), SasuSaku (one-sided), Other pairings may or may not be mentioned throughout the upcoming chapters.

**A/N:** I recommend reading this fic's predecessor, Enthralling, if you haven't already, (although both stories can be read as standalone fics).

* * *

**Enchaining**

**en·chain: 1.** To bind (with chains). **2.** To hold fast or captivate (the attention of, etc).** 3.** To yoke; (keep someone close).

* * *

**1.**

**Spring, Summer—June**

Crystalline irises gazed outward dispassionately, the forefront of the glass window presenting the gloomy landscape in the horizon with brilliance. The evening sky was nearly black and vast with very little cloud activity. The stars twinkled rather mysteriously, as though the lights themselves had a mass of their own secrets. Alluring nights such as these would cause Uzumaki Naruto to detach yet connect with his given surroundings all at once. The obsidian hue of the outside's darkness would forever remind him of that one particular person who had both ruined and brightened his young life.

Absently watching as the outer shadows grew longer, Naruto internally reminisced on the fateful day his lover had been symbolically, (or in Naruto's case, literally), ripped away from him…

**Flashback **

It was nearing the middle of twelve noon; the bell to signal for the high school's lunch period was fast approaching. Naruto was sluggishly sitting at his desk, his bent arm resting on the wooden surface while his right palm cupped his whisker marked cheek and the ends of his golden spikes. As he inactively listened to his World History teacher's droning voice, the blond thought about how he and _his_ Sasuke would spend the winter holidays together. His school was set to let out in about a week, and Naruto was anxious for what was to happen during his break.

_Maybe the bastard will take me out of the country and spend his money on me;_ the contemplation was an oh-so appealing but unrealistic one! Without meaning to, Naruto released a whimsical chuckle as he resumed his reflections, gaining a disapproving frown from his sensei and curious stares from his peers. He subsequently blushed a rosy red when he saw the amount of attention he had attained because of his folly.

"Sorry," the teen sheepishly apologized, rubbing the back of his head.

His teacher rolled his eyes and was just about to reprimand the boy when the classroom's phone rang. Lifting his hand to indicate for his students to remain silent, the high school educator ambled to the other side of the room, answering the call with ease as he lifted the handset from the cream painted wall. The man talked in low whispers for several minutes before hanging up the phone. He then sauntered back to the front of the class and looked pointedly at Naruto.

"Uzumaki," his deep voice boomed throughout the classroom. "The principal wishes to speak with you. Take your belongings with you."

There was a chorus of 'oohs' from some of his classmates as Naruto stood upward to pack his History book with a bewildered countenance. What'd he do wrong _this_ time? He was almost positive that he hadn't done anything to warrant such an abrupt summons.

Removing himself from his seat after he zipped up his backpack, the blond then walked over and took a hall pass from his teacher. The last thing he noticed prior to exiting the classroom was the concerned look coming from his ex-girlfriend-turned-great-friend, Hyuuga Hinata.

Strolling through the school's hallways afterward, Naruto couldn't help but develop a foreboding feeling in his gut. It was as though a horrid occurrence was bound to happen, yet Naruto would be powerless to stop the inevitable. He made his way into the office right as the lunch bell noisily chimed, sitting in one of the four chairs situated outside of the principal's quarters. He didn't have to wait long to be seen; the door to the aforesaid work space opened within moments, his mother Kushina and his blonde principal Tsunade stepping out. Kushina stared at her son with no external expression on her round face, her eyes blank and her mouth a tight line. Naruto didn't know precisely what this meant, but he could sense it wasn't anything good.

"Naruto," Tsunade was the one to speak, her honey colored eyes appearing remorseful. "Your mother has decided to pull you out of our school. She signed all the necessary paperwork; all there is left for you to do is clear out your locker."

Naruto's expressive blue eyes widened in disbelief. "W-What?" He looked between the two women in puzzlement and slight fear. Did he just hear what he thought he heard? Or was the whole world going insane?

Nodding to both herself and the male teen, Tsunade continued, "At your mother's insistence, you will gather your books and bring them back here with no incident. Since the majority of the students are in the cafeteria, now would be as good a chance as any to remove your things from your locker. I do apologize for the sudden notice, kiddo." During the principal's shocking declaration, not once had his mother even acknowledged him.

"You're…You're joking. You must be." Naruto's orbs pleaded for his principal to deny what she had just proclaimed.

The older blond sighed before coming to stand right in front of Naruto, lying one of her hands down on his shoulder. "I'm afraid not," she lingered for a bit before saying. "I'm going to miss you, gaki. It was a pleasure having you attend this school."

Before anything more could be said, Kushina forcefully grabbed onto Naruto's left elbow and dragged him out of the office and toward the hallway. The two of them then made their way to the blond teen's locker, about twelve feet from the entrance of the high school building.

"Okasan," Naruto started shakily, keeping in tune with the older woman's steps. "Ka-chan," he tried again when she refused to talk with him. "I'm walking right beside you. Can you please just answer me?"

Discouraged with the resuming quiet from his mother, Naruto swiftly collected his belongings and walked back to the office to drop off his school books to the secretary. Within minutes, the mother and son were striding across the almost full parking lot.

"Why won't you talk to me?_!_" the sapphire eyed male bellowed in panic. Staring at the back of his mother's red locks, he was surprised when she halted her walking, a mere foot away from her vehicle.

Without turning around, Kushina commanded in a deadpanned voice, "Get in the car."

Naruto wanted to rebel against the older's words. He wanted to scream and fight, or better yet, run away; but in the end he didn't do any of those things. He instead did what he was told, stalking to the car and opening the door to climb inside the interior. As soon as he buckled his seat belt, he felt his chin being grasped and he was pulled to face his now infuriated looking mother.

"What the hell is wrong with you, huh?" the red haired female was snarling, her fingers tightening their hold on her son's face. "How could you continue for it to go on?"

"Ka-chan, I—"

"You've been fraternizing with that Uchiha boy, haven't you?"

"I don't know what you're—"

"You've been sleeping with him."

The blond gulped so loudly that he was sure his mother had heard. His heart thumped in his chest painfully as he tried to contradict her statement; a bead of sweat materialized onto the tanned teen's forehead. But Naruto could never lie to his mother when faced with the truth. Meekly, he asked. "What do you know about me and Sasuke?"

"I received a call earlier this week from that…boy's parents. It seems that they were sent photographic evidence of the two of you leaving a hotel together. I didn't believe them at first, not even when the Uchiha's father told me about his son's history with other males."

"If you were told this earlier this week, how come you didn't say anything?" Naruto's docile voice rose alarmingly in pitch.

"Like I said before, I didn't believe them and I wanted to give you the benefit of the doubt. It wasn't until they faxed me some of those pictures that I finally admitted to myself," Kushina looked the boy straight in the eye as she revealed. "I was hoping you would deny everything, but I can see the truth in your eyes. I can only wonder what something like this will do to your poor sister. She loves him, y'know."

"…Does Ino know yet?"

Kushina closed her eyes momentarily, releasing her grip on her son's chin. "If she doesn't already, I'll have to tell her myself." She paused for a long time, disregarding Naruto's pale expression. Finally, she stated in a serious tone. "You and that boy are not to be in contact ever again. I'll see to it. After winter break is over, I'll be sending you to a boarding school up north."

Naruto sputtered as he choked out, "B-But that's not fair! You can't take me out of school just like that!"

His mother's eyes flashed in fury. "I can and I will! That piece of shit Uchiha should be glad I'm not pressing charges on him, considering he most likely forced himself on you."

"He didn't force himself on me! I wanted it as much as he did! I love—" Naruto was sharply cut off as his mother spun around in the driver's seat to slap him hard on the cheek. The teen was so shocked with the action that he didn't even register the sting to his face. In all his sixteen years of living, not once had his Ka-chan ever laid his hand on him until now.

An uncomfortable silence encased the car as Kushina used her right hand to buckle up her own seat belt and turn the vehicle on via the ignition. Putting the car into drive, she then backed out of the parking space and directed the car out into the highway. The snowy background of the outside passed them by hurriedly, the gentle steady of the vehicle moving forward doing absolutely nothing to ease the tension between the two of them.

Stopping in front of an intersection, the Uzumaki mother concluded with, "You better pray that Ino-chan will find it in her heart to forgive you someday after she finds out about this. You have a whole lot to make up for."

Naruto didn't respond to that. All he did was slump downward in the passenger's seat, a lone tear trailing down his throbbing cheek…

**Flashback End**

"Are you coming back to bed?"

Naruto blinked his eyes a few times as he came back to the present, the familiar voice breaking him out of his musings. Slowly looking over his shoulder, the blond glanced at a sexy raven haired teen that was sprawled half naked on the bed provided for him by the boarding school he was currently attending. The said brunette gave the younger a sultry smirk, his hand coming to trace his exposed inner thigh seductively. Naruto bit his bottom lip, feeling conflicted on how to approach his only fling, Shimura Sai.

Treading away from the window that took up a part of one side of his dorm room, the whiskered teen sexily sauntered toward the other boy, deciding to smirk back after he had reached the edge of his bed. His cerulean orbs drew in the porcelain skin and dark eyes that resembled Sasuke's in all the right angles. Sai's appearance was the _one_ reason why Naruto even decided to get involved with the usually fake acting boy. The pair of males had been fooling around with each other for a total of three months. Their affair wasn't anything special to Naruto though; he rejected the notion of ever penetrating the other and vice versa. Sai, on the other hand, was quite smitten, having taken with the younger after he and Naruto had been acquainted a year previous.

Landing on the bed with his knees, Naruto teased, "You saw that I wasn't that far away. Did you miss me that much?"

"You were taking too long," Sai said simply, sitting upward and revealing more of his thigh as his black boxers inched to the side.

"And you complain too much," countered the blond as he slid closer to capture the older teen's lips in what was at first a chaste kiss. Sai moaned into the other's mouth, wanting to take the motion a bit further as he stuck his tongue out to gain entrance inside Naruto's orifice.

Naruto parted his lips just enough for Sai to access the heated mouth with flourish. There was always something so erotic about rubbing and stroking his hot appendage with the younger male's. The wet and soft tongue belonging to Naruto would do such wicked things, inside and outside of his mouth. A particular thrust of Naruto's tongue on his thrilled the raven greatly. Circling his arms over the tanned teen's shoulders, Sai brought the other down on top of him to resume their make out session.

Their lips raucously smacked and slithered against each other, a string of saliva escaping from both of the boys' mouth. Sai could feel his growing erection tent his boxers and he began to push his hips on Naruto's in reaction. To calm the older down, the golden teen leisurely lowered his hand to rub the junction that made up Sai's thigh and ass. The strain on the dark haired teen's body started to melt away as the two simultaneously broke the kiss.

"I want to go all the way tonight," the paler of the two boys uttered. "Won't you let me?"

"We've already talked about this, Sai. I'm just not ready for something like that."

"I had promised you that I would be gentle, so why won't you—?"

Naruto lowered his head to playfully swipe at Sai's lips with his tongue, effectively disrupting the other. "You really do complain too much."

Sai frowned at the blond's diversion for a brief moment before a faux grin overtook his face. "Touch me," he whispered, guiding Naruto's hand inside his boxers with his own.

Firmly gripping onto Sai, Naruto commenced with bringing the older male immense pleasure as he fondled him in an up and down caress. Overlooking the brunette's moans and pants, Naruto nearly frowned himself, being totally fed up with Sai's persistence of the two of them having sex. Why couldn't the older boy just enjoy what they already had with one another? Why did he insist on making it complicated? For Naruto, this was merely a casual fling to chase away the loneliness in his heart. He actually didn't even like Sai all that much. _Plus, I haven't completely gotten over Sasuke,_ he reminded himself.

On the verge of an euphoric end, Sai was then left disappointed when Naruto unexpectedly ceased his stroking and removed his hand from the other's underwear. Sai sat up once more and glared as Naruto stared at him, ostensibly blank.

"Why'd you stop?" asked the raven, unimpressed with Naruto's sudden attitude. The younger seemed unwilling to respond, but Sai was having none of that.

With remarkable speed, Sai flipped their positions, laying Naruto on his back and pressing his lips against the blond's almost punishingly. Naruto kissed back just as angrily, his mouth crushing the one touching his. After a full minute, Sai released his mouth from the younger's and began trailing down Naruto's bare torso, taking care to nip and lick each available ridge and crevice.

Naruto gazed at the ceiling as Sai's lips reached his belly button, groaning when he felt a warm tongue dip into his navel. The raven teen swirled his heated muscle around, craving to taste more of that salty tang that made up the other's natural flavor. Lifting his head after he gave a final lick, Sai tugged on the waistband of Naruto's blue boxers prior to pulling the article of clothing passed the smooth legs to release Naruto's lower half. The blond simply closed his eyes as Sai bent down to engulf him entirely, counting the minutes for when the rest of the night would come to a close.

* * *

An incessant alarm clock shrilled throughout the room, cutting into Uchiha Sasuke's sleep shrouded mind as the said male gradually opened his eyes to the waking world. The sun's early morning brightness was all but blinding him as the illumination from the outdoors seeped through his tilted window blinds and traveled to him and his bed. Sasuke rolled over on his side to turn off the noise on his alarm, making his warm comforter slide down his uncovered chest.

According to the red numbers on his clock, it was two minutes passed six thirty, which meant that Sasuke had less than an hour to get to work. Shoving the duvet away from his body, the black headed male stood upward from his rumpled sheets and headed in the direction of his bathroom. He switched on the lights and quickly shed out of his sweatpants. Ambling to his shower and bath, Sasuke then closed the curtains before twisting the facet to his liking; in seconds, water from the upper nozzle cascaded down his form.

He thoroughly cleansed his toned body with the washcloth to his right, relishing in the heat the running liquid produced. If it had been the weekend, Sasuke would've had the luxury of staying in the shower for as long as he wanted. Unfortunately, time was of the essence, and it wasn't being too kind to him either.

The Uchiha stepped out of the tub once he had deemed himself clean. Wrapping a towel around his waist, the onyx eyed man sauntered back into his dorm room, searching for some informal attire. He found what he was looking for as he snatched up a navy top, jeans, and white socks, folded beforehand in the recently washed clothes in his drawer. Dressing promptly, Sasuke took a last look at himself in the mirror before departing.

Sasuke ignored the whispers and glares that were aimed towards him as he walked down his university's halls. Even after all this time, people still were looking down on him. In usual circumstances, Sasuke wouldn't give two shits about what others thought of him; but with this condition, he became more and more bitter. What, was he supposed to apologize for falling in love with another male? True, he had tricked his ex-girlfriend and had cheated on her with her younger brother; nevertheless, couldn't people just mind their own business?

Trying to rid himself of his negative reflections, Sasuke then exited from his college's structure and strode to his vehicle parked next to the curb. He got right into the car and started its engine, expertly maneuvering the automobile onto the main road.

Sasuke took additional time to drive through both the road and the ever recognizable parking lot that dwelled with a retail warehouse. The mentioned department store stood at approximately three stories high, made of brick and stone and painted a warm copper. Around the external perimeter of the store were a cut grass plain, cherry blossoms, and aging vegetation. Since the store wasn't scheduled to open for another thirty or so minutes, there weren't that many cars parked in the spaces.

Pocketing his car keys, the Uchiha left the inside of his vehicle after he had turned it off and made his way to the warehouse's sliding doors. The air conditioner wafted through his blue tinted, black tresses as he entered, unconsciously triggering the male to bless his brother for recommending that he get a job in the first place.

Truth be told, Sasuke owed a lot to his older sibling. His brother, Uchiha Itachi, had done what he could to help his otouto out following the devastating separation between Sasuke and his blond haired desire. Sasuke could still remember the whole incident clearly—Ino exposing their forbidden relationship with snapshots, Sasuke running out of his university after Ino had said he would never see Naruto again, Neji's interfering ass watching him smugly from the sidelines, and finally Sasuke falling to his knees when he had come to the conclusion that he had lost his beloved. That certain day became the catalyst of all the wrongs that the brunette had had to endure thus far.

His parents—or more accurately, his father—had disowned him just like he said he would if he ever caught on that the littlest Uchiha was still messing with other males. His banking account had then been terminated, cutting off his finances and the possessions from his home had been removed. If it hadn't been for Itachi, Sasuke would've been kicked out of his university. It was only through pure luck that the brunette hadn't ended up on the streets.

To make matters worse, Ino, in all her wickedness, had told her friends about the whole ordeal, spreading the news around the campus. Within days, Sasuke went from the popular prince to the sinning pariah. Of course Sasuke had confronted the girl about her transgression. Ino had plainly smirked, informing him that Naruto had been sent away and that she herself was preparing to transfer for the next semester.

"There's no sense in trying to contact my brother again; you won't be able to reach him," she had spat at him during their last conversation together. "I hope the two of you rot in hell."

Prior to their exchange, Sasuke _had_ in fact tried to get in touch with Naruto again, despite Ino's warnings. He had even foolishly stopped by the Uzumaki residence, only for Kushina to run out of the house and threaten him with a restraining order if he didn't get the fuck off her property. Crushed emotionally, there was nothing more for the male to do. He had left his lost lover's home with a heavy heart. He hadn't been back there since then.

Stalking through the said store, Sasuke was unaware as another body collided with his from the other direction. Hissing in pain, the raven male glared at the other, and then grunted inwardly when a teasing smile was directed at him.

"Yo, man! What's with the two left feet this morning?" his white haired co-worker, Hōzuki Suigetsu, quipped with a flash of a fanged tooth.

"You're the one who bumped into me, baka," Sasuke snapped irritably. "Why are you here so early anyway? You're never on time."

Suigetsu smirked, his mauve orbs glinting. "I'm going to ask the boss man for a raise."

"What makes you think you deserve a raise?"

"I earned it, of course."

"Shiranui can't give you a raise without giving the rest of us one too."

"Yeah, well, I was the one to help him when his wife went into labor. So, like I said, I earned it. I just don't want many people around when I ask him."

Sasuke stared at the other male uninterestingly, saying without a hint of emotion. "Hn, whatever."

Not wanting to spend an extra minute in the moron's presence, Sasuke walked away and headed towards the employees' changing room. He was glad to note that there was nobody else in the vicinity. Sauntering to his assigned cabinet, the Uchiha grabbed his staff vest from the hanger and reached around to put the garment on his upper body.

Taped on the side of the aforementioned space was one of the pictures Ino had shown him of Naruto, he and the golden teen walking together in the photograph, laughing contentedly.

* * *

The commotion in the boarding school's auditorium was thriving; the teenagers were either lining up to retrieve their lunches or chatting away with their peers. The 20,000 square foot mess hall was known for its well-cooked cuisine, and the students were relishing in the food and the relaxed atmosphere. Naruto watched the scene boringly, on the lookout for his own friends as he stayed seated near the back of the room.

Taking care to avoid the bruise he had received on the right side of his face, Naruto lowered his head and elbows to the table's plane, his shoulders slouching in his apathy. Try as he might, the blond just couldn't be as enthusiastic as he used to be. Even the promise of summer vacation in three days time couldn't lift his spirits. The one cause being that he would have to see his mother again.

"Thanks for waiting for us," a female voice sarcastically said from behind him.

Raising his head to rotate around, the blue eyed teen grinned wryly as his good friend Haruno Sakura gave him a mock glare. He and the aforementioned girl had made friends with one another the first week Naruto had arrived to the school. The pair had been drawn to each other as they had both been newcomers to the boarding school, thus were less conventional than a majority of their classmates.

Naruto had liked her sensible yet lively nature, and Sakura had enjoyed his playful personality. Their relationship had remained purely platonic; however, during the last six months, Sakura's morals and senses had begun to change drastically. She had gone from a sweet, innocent teen to a seductive predator—hell, even Naruto and Sai had been targeted by her at one point. But the two males hadn't been interested; Naruto was too caught up in Sasuke and Sai was too caught up in Naruto.

Luckily for all three of them, Sakura had ceased chasing them and had moved onto other individuals. And although Naruto abhorred the way she acted with men, he was still willing to stand by her side, no matter what anybody else said.

"Sorry guys," Naruto replied as he saw his other female friend—a brunette named Yuuka Tenten—step from behind Haruno to take a seat from across him with her lunch tray. "I guess I just wasn't hungry today."

Sakura's artificial frown softened as she took a good look at Naruto's injured cheek, her green orbs concerned. "Did you get in another fight?"

"You don't have to worry about me, Sakura-chan. I gave as much as I got," the Uzumaki's smile broadened, but the two other teens could tell the smile wasn't genuine. Unlike with his public school, Naruto wasn't popular at the boarding school. His abrasive behavior and opened sexuality rubbed his peers and teachers the wrong way. Males, especially, had a conflict with him, and would provoke him on purpose to see what he would do.

Sitting down next to him, Sakura said, "You should be more careful. I'm surprised you didn't get put on probation, like last time."

"The dean figured since school was almost out and that _this_ time I hadn't started it, he would cut me a break."

Tenten reached over the table to give Naruto's hand a friendly squeeze. "I'm sorry, Naruto," the latter smiled again in gratitude. Wanting to redirect the discussion for the boy's sake, the girl said. "So…what's up with the whole-non-eating-thing? Have you finally decided to go on a ramen free diet?"

Naruto, Sakura, and Tenten chuckled in unison. "As if," he said with a click of his tongue. "In fact, I had ramen before I went to my classes this morning."

Sakura lightly slapped his arm, trying and failing to hide her own smile. "What have I told you about eating that junk food, Naruto?"

"Something about how it's bad for my health and all that crap. Honestly, I had begun to tune you out after the first couple of words."

"You're incorrigible!"

"And that's why you love me!"

The two females giggled as Tenten proclaimed, "I'm glad to see that a mere fight doesn't keep you down for long."

Naruto gave his pair of friends an appraising stare before he asked. "You guys are still planning on visiting me this summer, right?"

"Yeah," and "Definitely," were the words said in synchronization by Tenten and Sakura, respectively.

"I know I am," interjected Sai's voice as the pale teen sauntered toward the three's table. "Hello, Naruto-kun," he greeted as he sat down prior to his phony smile disappearing after seeing the blond's cheek. "What happened to your face? Did somebody hit you again?"

"I'm fine, Sai. It's just a bruise; it'll be gone soon enough."

"Just tell me who did it, and I'll make them pay for hurting you."

"You don't have to do anything."

"I will if you want me—"

Sakura rolled her eyes, interrupting. "Jeez, Sai, what are you, his keeper? He just told you he was fine."

Sai focused his eyes on the girl who had spoken, his growing smile not reaching his eyes. "I don't believe I was talking to you, you ugly hag."

Naruto and Tenten narrowed their eyes at the other male as Sakura shouted, "Fuck you, Sai!" Her outburst caused a number of students to glance in their direction.

The raven teen's smile became more vicious as he said, "You, Naruto and I have already been down this road, remember? When are you going to realize that the only thing you're good for is warming someone else's bed?"

Sakura's face burned a bright red, the color clashing horribly with her cascading, strawberry hair. Standing up from her seat heatedly, she lifted her right fist, ready to punch the still grinning teen, until Naruto stood himself to prevent the fist from hitting its intended mark.

"Calm down, Sakura-chan," Naruto relocated his hand to her wrist. "Sai's just being an idiot; he doesn't mean it," he tried to reassure her.

"Yes, I do," Sai declared, his fake smile still in place.

"Kami, shut up, Sai!" the blond growled, letting go of Sakura's wrist and spinning around to glower at the other.

"Why are you always bashing people?" Tenten questioned irately, wanting to put her two cents in. "Do you think we want that sort of negativity around us? You know the only reason you're allowed to sit with us is because Naruto's such a nice guy."

Sai's smile nearly faltered from the brown haired girl's interval. He was just about to tell her off when one of the staff came over to evaluate the situation. "Is there a problem here?" the man asked, mainly concentrating his stare on Naruto and Sakura.

"No, sir," Tenten answered.

"No problem at all," Naruto concurred mildly. "Sai and I were actually just leaving." He gave a pointed gaze at the black haired male, knowing Sai wouldn't leave unless he did.

"…Very well," the staff member eventually murmured. "I'll leave you to it then. Just don't make me have to come back here." And with that, the male employee ambled in the other direction, seemingly to the place he had been before.

Once the man had walked away, Sakura opened her mouth to say, "Hey, Naruto-kun, you don't have to leave."

"It's okay," the blue eyed teen said with a shrug. "I'll see you later, Sakura-chan, Tenten-chan. Let's go, Sai," he ordered to the other boy previous to the two of them departing from the inside of the auditorium.

Turning from one of the secondary buildings outdoors, Naruto was totally unprepared as Sai pushed him against the wall to devour his lips in earnest. The blond whined in the older's mouth, using his right arm to shove Sai to a safer distance. Sai glared at his fling for the gesture.

"You've been pushing me away a lot lately," the raven accused.

"That's because you're out of control! What the hell did you think you were doing, talking to Sakura like that?"

"I haven't said anything she hasn't heard before."

"I don't like the way you talk to my friends, Sai."

"And _I _don't like the way you've been talking to _me_," the Shimura teen retorted.

Naruto had an urge to laugh at Sai's irrationality, but held it in. "I wouldn't have to be so harsh with you if you just took the time to be a little nicer to other people."

Sai appeared as though he was ready to argue; yet for some unknown reason, his fake smile returned and he said. "You're right; I've been foolishly judgmental towards other people, including you. Forgive me?"

Naruto eyed the other suspiciously. Why was he acting cordial all of a sudden? "I guess…but I'm not the one you should be apologizing to."

"Of course," conceded Sai, stepping closer into Naruto's personal space. "I'll tell Sakura-san that I am sorry for saying such cruel words to her." The former of the boys leaned forward, wanting to kiss the golden teen's lips, but Naruto tilted his head to the side, resulting in Sai kissing the younger's hurt cheek.

"Not right now, Sai. Come to my dorm later," Uzumaki replied, striving to please the pale teen as he saw a strange glint settle in the dark headed male's eyes.

Purposely evading the other's body, Naruto slithered on the wall to escape from the almost closed gap. He didn't even give a backwards glance as he made his way to the corridor that housed his dorm room. As he stalked, Naruto sighed to himself, wondering what he could do to curb Sai's erratic manner. It was obvious to anyone that the said boy was becoming a bit too attached to him. He needed to find a way of calming the other down without any repercussions.

Sai, in the meanwhile, had stayed planted after Naruto had left him alone. Clenching both his hands, the teen could feel as the anger inside of him began surging throughout his body.

* * *

"Hey, Sasuke, why don't you come with me and my friends to the club tonight?"

It was the end of the morning to afternoon shift for some of the workers at the warehouse. The setting sun was lower in the sky, indicating the beginning rise of the night time. It had been a long day, filled with unsatisfied customers and commanding managers. The last thing Sasuke wanted to do was hang around Suigetsu and a bunch of idiots in a club that would surely reek of sweat and musk.

"I think not," the Uchiha responded, removing his vest from his torso to put back into his cabinet. "It's Tuesday afternoon. I'm tired, and I have a lot of school work to do."

"You always say that," Suigetsu rolled his eyes. "All you ever _do_ is work. Why can't you just sit back and relax every once in awhile? I mean, dude, when was the last time you even got laid?"

Reflexively staring at the still taped picture of his Naruto on the side, Sasuke then found himself grinding his teeth in agitation. During the first couple of months of his and Naruto's separation, Sasuke had attempted in every which way he could think of to see, or at least, hear from his lover again. When he had exhausted his search, the raven haired male had reluctantly tried to move on with his life. He would notice other attractive males around him, wanting to sleep with them, but Naruto's face would constantly pop in his head. There would usually be a feeling of longing, anger, and regret that would form within him afterwards, stopping him from approaching other men.

"Hello! Earth to Sasuke! You're blanking out on me, man," Suigetsu's hand waved in front of his face, bringing Sasuke back to himself. The latter scowled in response, slapping the teen's appendage away from his countenance.

"What I do in my spare time is none of your business," Sasuke hissed, snatching the taped photo and shoving it into his space's compartment.

"Touchy, touchy," drawled the white headed boy, his hands raised upward in a mock surrender.

With a last glare to Suigetsu, Sasuke left the back rooms and trekked through the center of the warehouse. A few of his colleagues made an effort to say goodbye to him; but he just disregarded their farewells and exited from the store, not saying another word.

Since the beginning of summer was in a couple of days, the climate outside was still warm, despite the fact that evening was approaching. The temperature was blazing against Sasuke's skin, making the delicate flesh morph into a heated, red shade on the exposed parts of his body.

The dark eyed man didn't waste any time rushing into his vehicle and zooming out of the store's parking lot. He arrived on his college's grounds a little over twenty minutes later. Shutting his car's door roughly, the Uchiha strode forward with fuming paces. He wasn't exactly sure why; but somehow Suigetsu's words had really gotten to him.

By some means, the annoying idiot's questions and comments had confirmed how Sasuke had been feeling for the last year and a half—like a complete and utter failure. Two years ago, Sasuke would've berated himself for even having such pessimistic emotions. As an Uchiha, he had been destined to achieve anything and receive anything he had desired. Now, given that the majority of his family had abandoned him, Sasuke had had to work that much harder to get to the point he had been formerly. It was a devastating blow to his ego and pride.

Reaching the hallway where his dorm room was placed, Sasuke was intercepted as his senior advisor, Aburame Shino, made his way towards him from the other side. "Here," the sunglasses wearing brunette thrusted a slip of paper to the other male. "The administration wanted me to give you this."

Gripping the note in his hands, Sasuke read its contents quickly before a livid grimace emerged on his face. "Why does it say I have before the thirtieth to move out of my dorm? I thought I had until the fourteenth of July."

"All residents with a visa have to clear out their dorms before the thirtieth," Shino dully recited.

"Why wasn't I told of this before?"

"It was just announced by the board this morning."

"That's ridiculous."

The only sign that Shino was getting annoyed was the prominent tick in his left eyebrow. "I don't make the rules, I just enforce them. If you have a problem, take it up with the administration." Aburame didn't wait for another reply; he just passed the other, sauntering down the hall.

Sasuke crumpled the paper in his hand as he entered his dorm room. To say that he was pissed was an underestimation. His university was basically throwing him out of his room within a little bit of a week's time. Where was the justice in that? The administration could've at least been courtesy enough to notify Sasuke of the sudden removal a month or two prior.

Taking a look around his area, Sasuke internally theorized on how he was going to sort out all of his belongings. He would have to be swift with his packing in order to avoid paying extra for staying longer than he was allowed. Heading for his bed, the raven discerned that he was getting angrier by the second, his vision closing in on him.

Essentially, Sasuke had no other place to live. Sure, Itachi had invited him to his home for a couple of months, but his brother didn't expect him for three more weeks. The younger Uchiha would have to call him and ask if he could come stay earlier than expected. That was something he did not want Itachi to have to deal with; Sasuke felt bad enough as it was.

In fury, Sasuke tossed the paper and kicked the frame of his bed. He could sense the adrenaline pumping in his veins; he desperately wanted to _hurt _someone_._ Settling on the objects in his room, the dark haired man stomped to his drawer and flung all the reading materials off of the timber surface.

The books and line papers scattered on the floor chaotically. Sasuke gaped at the disarray unseeingly, his right hand tingling. He glanced at his fingers and saw that he had various paper cuts on his skin from pushing the items down to the carpet. Turning around on his feet, the mentioned male went into his connecting bathroom.

He refused to look at himself in the mirror as he turned on the facet from the sink to rinse his hand. Sasuke was almost certain that all he would see was a haggard shell of a human being.

* * *

**So, yeah, I decided to keep my 'M' rated fics on this site. I'm just going to have to make sure I'm careful with my content. If by any chance my fics **_**do**_** get deleted, my LJ account 'ireallydonthate' will have some of my fics there, including this one.**

**I also felt that Sai and Tenten deserved surnames just like the rest of the characters, so I gave them one. Till next time!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, its characters and/or ideas. All rights belong to Masashi Kishimoto.

* * *

**Enchaining**

**en·chain: 1.** To bind (with chains). **2.** To hold fast or captivate (the attention of, etc).** 3.** To yoke; (keep someone close).

* * *

**2. **

**Summer—June, July**

Naruto wiped his sweaty forehead as he finished packing the last of his belongings, the boarding room's temperature mounting steadily. The scorching heat seeping in through the translucent windows was both humid and oppressive, and the moisture from the outside was causing the blond to fall into a state of exhaustion. After he zipped up the edge of his orange colored rolling luggage, Naruto let out a relieved sigh, slouching his body downward to the carpet below.

A surge of bittersweet sensations crept inside of his mind as he sat there in the middle of the room, his eyes distantly raking over the now bare walls. The room had been his quasi-home for the past nine months, and he would be leaving it behind for the next two and a half. He couldn't deny that he would miss this room; the only haven he had to an otherwise authoritarian and infuriating boarding school.

"What are you doing, sitting in the middle of the floor like that?" his friend Haruno Sakura questioned with a chuckle, a traveling bag flung over her shoulder. She and Tenten had apparently been standing near the room's doorway, long enough to witness the male teen collapse to the floor.

Naruto's lips tugged upward as he stared at the girls through his bangs. "Just thinking about how I'm going to miss this place."

"You're actually going to miss the boarding school?" Tenten inquired in disbelief.

Naruto snorted, languidly rising to his feet. "Hell no! I hate this school with a passion! I just mean I'm going to miss this room; it was like my own little sanctuary."

Grabbing onto the black handle of his wheeled luggage, the blue eyed teen took one last look around his vacant boarding room before ambling in the direction of the school's hallway. The girls followed suit, trailing behind the tanned teen as they held onto their own set of baggage. The corridor was nearly dimmed, the minimal light coming from the clear roofed ceiling. There weren't that many inhabitants around since most of the students had either already left or had been picked up.

Passing a number of classrooms in the hall, Naruto slowed his walking as he saw Sakura stroll beside him in the corner of his sapphire orbs. "I'm surprised that weirdo Sai's not around," she speculated almost derisively. "I haven't seen him all day. What do you think happened?"

"I don't know and I don't care. As far as I'm concerned, he and I aren't cool with each other anymore," uttered Naruto. Sakura's pink eyebrows lifted in surprise, but she didn't comment. Naruto was grateful for that; he didn't feel like telling her about what had happened between him and Sai the other night.

It had been the same old bullshit with the mentioned black haired male. Sai had wanted them to fuck, Naruto had told him no…_again_, and without warning Sai had gone off on him in a tirade, calling him a teasing whore with no conscience. And of course, Naruto wouldn't put up with that. In retaliation, the blond teen had practically shouted at him that he could go ahead and fuck himself since he was so desperate. Naruto will never forget the look of pure fury on the older's face; the expression comparable to a demon materializing from the shadows.

In what Naruto could describe as an inhumane howl, the Shimura had lunged at him, wanting to attack him. Naruto, thankfully, had dodged the intended assault and had pushed the other boy out of the room with his foot. Locking the door, he had then told Sai through the barrier that the two of them were done and that he didn't want to see his face for the remainder of the semester. Naruto, himself, hadn't heard from nor seen Sai ever since that night.

Reaching the school building's exit minutes later, the three friends sauntered out of the interior and headed to the asphalt that led to the 'student pick up/drop off' sector. Naruto stopped at the rim of the cement sidewalk, situating his luggage behind himself. A group of four senior males appeared from one of the other exits on the opposite side, eying the trio distastefully as they walked. Naruto proceeded to give them the finger, recognizing that the boys couldn't do anything with various staff and bystanders being in the locality.

"You shouldn't encourage them, Naruto," Sakura warned, hastily glancing at the retreating males as enraged expressions settled on their countenances.

"They can't do shit about it; they're too many witnesses."

"Sakura's right," interjected Tenten, tilting her brunette head to the side as she too watched the males. "You shouldn't entice them like that; that'll just make you as low as they are."

Naruto had an urge to sigh again, but held it in. "I know, I know. I shouldn't let them get to me. I just hate the way they look at us as though were dirt beneath their feet."

"That's why you have to be the bigger person," Sakura decreed. "To show people the good guy behind all your brashness." Tenten nodded in agreement, a half grin touching her lips.

"Have I ever told you guys how awesome you are?" Naruto asked with an affectionate smile.

"Yes, you have," the strawberry haired teen consented good-naturedly. "And you shall continue to do so throughout the following years." All three of them laughed at Haruno's silliness prior to a green Jeep honking its horn and cruising parallel to the curb to park.

"That's my Dad," said Tenten, hoisting her carrier bag underneath her right limb. "I gotta go." She gave a one armed hug to both Naruto and Sakura before making her way to the said Jeep. "I'll call you guys later," she called out, entering inside the vehicle afterwards as it pulled away into the public road.

Waving goodbye to their brown headed comrade, Naruto and Sakura then made themselves more comfortable; with Sakura sitting down on her baggage and Naruto leaning against his luggage. The afternoon weather was simmering down a bit, yet it was still too warm to determine whether the surrounding air would cool.

"I'm feeling kinda horny," Sakura unexpectedly declared after a long silence, a teasing light emerging in her jade eyes. "You think I'll have time to**—"**

"Your parents are going to be here any minute. I wouldn't recommend it," Naruto teased back, snickering underneath his breath.

Just as the words left his mouth, his mother's familiar vehicle pulled into the parking lot and rode in to stop right beside the sidewalk. Uzumaki Kushina leaned toward the passenger seat, rolling down the window to speak. "Hey, sweetheart. The trunk's unlocked so you can go ahead and put your stuff in there," she directed to Naruto before her eyes strayed to the pink haired girl. "Hello, Sakura-chan. How are you?"

"I'm fine, Uzumaki-san. It's good to see you again."

"Are you looking forward to the summer?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Kushina smiled warmly. "Naruto told me you were going to visit us at the cabin next month," she said while her blond son deposited his belongings prior to shutting the trunk. "You'll keep an eye out for him then, won't you?"

"I sure will," Sakura answered with a returning smile.

Naruto mentally rolled his eyes at his mother as he came to stand in front of his female friend. "You want me to stay with you until your parents get here? I'm sure my mom won't mind."

"Naw, I'll be fine," she told him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders to hug him. "I'll talk to you later, okay?"

"Okay," the golden boy responded, reciprocating the embrace.

Clutching onto each other for several more seconds, Naruto and Sakura eventually released the other, giving one another one final smile before the blond wandered back to his mother's car to climb into its fabric covered upholstery. He waved at the girl through the clear window as Kushina put the car in drive and zoomed in the direction of the three lane street.

As the vehicle merged gradually into the right lane, Naruto could have sworn he spotted Sai watching him amongst the people waiting outside of the school. He swiftly pushed the thought out of his head, not wanting to even think about the asshole. Adjusting himself in his seat, Naruto used his right hand to turn the air conditioner onto a higher velocity.

The redheaded Kushina peeked at the younger through her peripherals, a fond smile upturning her lips. "I had missed you, y'know."

"You saw me two months ago, Okasan," Naruto pointed out.

"That doesn't mean I couldn't have missed you during that time."

"If you say so."

Deciding to overlook her son's dismissive tone, Kushina asked. "Do you have your report card with you?"

"It's in my bag. Don't worry; it's not like I failed any of my classes or anything," the blond grumbled.

"How long are you going to do this to me, Naruto?" his mother asked with a sigh, becoming fed up with her child's disdain.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean this whole I'm-mad-at-the-world-so-I'm going-to-give-you-an-attitude phase. I would just like to know, that way I can tiptoe around you like I did last summer."

"I'm not mad at the world," Naruto grumbled once more.

"Oh, so I must be the lucky one right?" Kushina drawled sarcastically. Naruto refused to answer, revolving his head to the side to look out the window. "Naruto," she started again, softening her voice. "You're my son. I love you, no matter what. And you should know that I would do anything to protect you. I just wish you would stop resenting me for it."

The older of the Uzumakis thought the other wasn't going to reply. It came as an astonishment when Naruto said softly. "I don't want to resent you."

"And I don't want to grow to resent you, so how can we fix this?"

"…I don't know."

"How about starting with us not fighting over every little thing, hmm?"

Naruto peered at the redhead discreetly, trying to gauge how candid her words actually were. Truth of the matter was, he didn't want to have this animosity against her anymore either; yet in the back of his mind, a nagging feeling kept telling him to resume his distant. After all, she was the reason he had lost contact with Sasuke and had to attend a lame boarding school where the majority of the students didn't like him. How could any person possibly ignore that? Still, she _was_ his mother, and despite everything, he loved her too…

With a resolve in his head, Naruto stated with conviction. "Okay, Ka-chan. I'll try…to not fight with you."

Kushina smiled to herself. It wasn't a sincere apology; but it was a start, and she would take what she could get. Riding in a contented quiet for an undetermined amount of time, the red haired woman broke it again, wanting to maintain a conversation. "Has your sister called you lately?"

_It's like she _wants_ me to resent her_, he mused in annoyance. _Why else would she ask me that just as we agreed we wouldn't fight? _"She called me about a month ago actually," he said, not voicing his mental thoughts. "Told me she met some guy."

"Really? She didn't mention anything to me the last time I talked to her."

"I think the only reason she even told me was to rub it in my face."

Stopping the vehicle at an intersection, Kushina differed with, "I don't think she told you to rub it in your face. You know Ino isn't like that with you anymore."

"No, she's better with me. Still, I hate the card she plays with me, like she's an innocent victim and I'm such a horrible person, and**—**"

"Naruto…"

Hearing the weary warning in her voice, Naruto felt it was time to end the subject. "Can we please listen to the radio?"

Kushina nodded her head, keeping her eyes straight ahead as she turned the dial for the radio to a popular station. The K-pop music pouring in throughout the car was soothing for both parent and child, the melody warm and happy. As one song came after another, Kushina delved deep into her thoughts, her thinking treading onto precarious issues.

She hated that her family wasn't as united as it should've been. Both of her children were distant—Naruto was distant emotionally and Ino was distant physically. The dynamics of their bond was more than shot; it was crushed. Kushina felt that she and her kids were more in crisis now than they had been when Minato had been killed. And for Kushina, there was only one person to blame for their hardship.

Uchiha Sasuke.

That man; that despicable, good-for-nothing excuse of a man had been the one to divide her family. Kushina should've known that the Uchiha would lead to troubling consequences with the way he had handled himself the first time she had invited him into her home and the fact that he had come from a prestigious yet infamous clan. That male had been fed with a silver spoon all of his natural days; it was only a matter of time before he would do something as revolting as seducing her impressionable son. Not to say that she had anything against homosexuality, because she didn't. She just hated the fact that some mere…boy could fool her so callously.

Realistically, the overbearing mother knew that her son was just as much to blame for her daughter's betrayal as the Uchiha was. Nevertheless, she was going to stand with Naruto, guilty or not.

Entering another stretch of highway, the violet-blue eyed female reminisced back to the day she had picked Naruto up from his previous school for the last time. She had had so many emotions swirling inside of her then—anger, sadness, guilt, pity, confusion, and bitterness. She remembered hissing at her blond child before slapping him hard on his cheek. Naruto didn't know it, but Kushina had cried herself to sleep that night, feeling torn between siding with her daughter and feeling at fault for striking her son.

From then on, Kushina had tried to set things right, attempting to appease both Ino and Naruto. Unfortunately, there wasn't much she could amend, considering that the both of them resented her in some way. Kushina only hoped that this summer would bring about healing for all three of them. Ino had said she would try to visit before the month of September; the Uzumaki mother would pray that the younger woman would keep her word.

Looking at her son briefly, Kushina made a silent promise to herself and her children that things would be okay; that _they _would be okay.

* * *

Long, pallid fingers tapped continuously on a steering wheel as aristocratic features stared forward beyond the window shield impatiently; waiting for the jammed crossroad he was currently on to clear so that the said figure could drive onward to his anticipated destination.

It was the late afternoon of the weekend, and the upheaval of the roadway was verification to the unwanted traffic. Sasuke was just relieved that he hadn't been in such chaos during one of his work days; he would've surely been fired for coming in late for his job.

In the back seat of his vehicle were three separate corrugated fiberboard boxes, containing various possessions belonging to a certain nineteen-year-old. Earlier that morning, Sasuke had packed all of his essentials, emptying out every inch of his former dorm room. He had still been irked that he had to remove his things in advance, yet he endured the annoyance. He didn't need nor want the university's administration harassing him for leaving anything behind. It had taken him a good two hours to collect everything, and the raven male could admit that the whole occurrence had left him fatigued.

Gradually, the roadway became less congested, prompting Sasuke to travel at a faster speed. The warm summer vegetation surrounding the area blurred passed him as the traffic finally loosened. In a matter of twenty minutes, the raven male arrived in the affluent neighborhood where his brother's apartment was located.

Turning into a blacktop parking lot on the right hand side, Sasuke parked in one of the vacant spaces near the back, the kanji for 'guest' painted on the sign further ahead. Exiting from his car, the black haired man gazed around the vicinity, his unspoken approval of the quarters making itself known once again.

The luxury apartment buildings were made with what looked like dry-stone wall. The high-rise structures were painted a warm rust, sienna, and pearl color with the roofs built with a brown hued cement covering. The landscaping was impressive; the lawns were cut, the trees were strong with bark, and the bushes and flowers were multicolored. It was also appeasing that the region was quiet with not that many people bustling about; Sasuke definitely appreciated the peaceful setting.

Walking towards the automatic doors that led inside the apartment's main office, Sasuke came inside the room's lobby, still impressed with the marble flooring and the neutral colors layering the walls. He stopped in front of the clerk's desk, giving the man behind the counter a stoic nod.

"May I help you, sir?" the clerk asked him professionally.

"Yes; I would like for you to ring up Uchiha Itachi's number, and inform him that Sasuke has arrived."

"Right away, sir."

Within less than five minutes, the steel elevators on the left split opened to reveal Uchiha Itachi in his entire regal splendor. The mentioned man was dressed classically in a suit and tie, his long black mane cascading down behind his back in a ponytail. His emotionless red tinted irises peered at the younger from across the foyer, a pair of onyx gems staring right back with greatly concealed fondness. The two men stalked to one another majestically, both their heads bowing in a greet as they came to stand in front of the other.

"Good afternoon, otouto," Itachi's silky, baritone voice acknowledged. "You look well. I trust that your drive was a pleasant one?"

"Not at all," Sasuke opposed with outward indifference, figuring his older sibling was goading him.

"I figured," the older man confessed, a smirk appearing on his gorgeous countenance. "You arrived a half hour later than I expected. Shall we?" He motioned with his hand to sweep toward the outdoors.

Curtly nodding his head, Sasuke guided his brother to his parked vehicle to retrieve his boxes. The pair of ravens had to take two trips to recover all of the younger's belongings, the boxes being situated in Itachi's lone guest room. The said room was 800 square foot, complete with a connecting bathroom, tiled floors, a king-sized bed, walk-in closet, and a large window overlooking the city's horizon. His given space was twice as big as the dorms inside of the university.

As the afternoon luminosity morphed into an indigo streaked evening, Sasuke stayed in the guest room, organizing his extent to meet his needs. He was at first unaware as his brother came to stand in the entryway, looking at him intently. Only when the decipherable chill of someone watching him crept up his spine did he glance back at the other, his feet stalking on the floor as he went to sit on the bed.

"Was there something you needed?" Sasuke said, actually sounding inquisitive instead of haughty.

"Just checking on you," Itachi responded.

"I'm fine."

"You're a terrible liar, Sasuke."

"I said I'm fine," the younger murmured, his aggravation visible.

"You're not fine; otherwise, you wouldn't even be in this room."

The youngest Uchiha's head snapped upward, glaring at the other defiantly. He kept the narrowed stare for a few more seconds until he saw that it had zero effect on Itachi. "Maybe not," he lastly admitted. "But I will be."

Itachi couldn't help but a give a half smirk at his brother's mature remark. "Come then. I made dinner," he stated capriciously.

"You cook?" Sasuke's left eyebrow rose in surprise.

"Rarely," was Itachi's only response to the question.

Rising from the bed, Sasuke then followed the older into the kitchenette, the aroma of rice and vegetables filling his senses. The two men unhurriedly plated their meals before making their way to the formal dining table near the perimeter. As they sat down and began eating, a humbled tranquility overwhelmed the entirety of the area, the mellow atmosphere immediate but welcoming.

The relaxed stillness gave Sasuke a chance to wordlessly mull over the relationship that had progressively improved between himself and Itachi. When the males had been younger, there had been an unspoken rivalry among them, coupled with the fact that their father had seemed to favor Itachi over Sasuke. And as an adolescent striving to impress his family, Sasuke had grown jealous of his brother during that time, a certain dislike mending into his psyche.

Therefore, it was rather ironic that the one person he loathed above all else was the one whom supported him and stood by his side. Itachi had consoled him when no one else would, providing him with shelter and advice. Sasuke would forever be grateful for his brother's assistance, although he would probably never voice such a thought aloud.

"How's the job?" asked Itachi suddenly, breaking the silence.

The abrupt inquiry nearly caused Sasuke to flinch in his chair. Masking his face to appear as though the question hadn't startled him, the younger answered, "As I've stated before, a job's a job." This wasn't the first time Itachi had questioned Sasuke about his work, and Sasuke was sure it wouldn't be the last either. Still, he couldn't fathom why the older would incessantly ask the same question.

"So I take it that you still dislike it?"

"I haven't said whether I like it or dislike it. It's a job, and I'm fortunate enough to have it."

"Hn," the older of the men grunted, taking a delicate bite out of his food.

Looking at his brother across the table, Sasuke's eyes lowered warily. "You have something on your mind; something that has to do with me."

Itachi's eyes bored into Sasuke's, an almost dangerous crimson pouring in his irises. After what felt like a long time, the gleam disappeared and Itachi said, "Go ahead and finish your food."

"Aniki, does this have anything to do with me moving in earlier than—?"

"Don't worry about it, Sasuke," Itachi interrupted, waving his hand dismissively.

The younger of the ravens frowned in displeasure, not at all appreciating the other's secrecy. He couldn't interpret what that gleam in his brother's orbs had been about nor could he figure whether the twinkle had been a bad or a good thing. Whatever the case, Sasuke was bound to find out very soon.

* * *

The subsequent weeks carried on insipidly, as though time were standing still and moving forward simultaneously. The weather hadn't gotten any cooler; if anything, the climate had increased, the highs escalating into the hundreds, Fahrenheit. In the Uzumaki residence, the boring days of the summer had become a routine.

Kushina, whether unconsciously or not, had a tight hold on Naruto. She would monitor his activities, giving him a premature curfew any time he told her he was going to leave the house. He had to call the house phone or his mother's cell every four hours when he was out, otherwise she threatened to call the police, a threat Naruto took very seriously. What made it worse was the deposit for the annual cabin Kushina had rented for last year had fell through; it would be an extra couple of weeks before they could rent it again.

Naturally, the cerulean eyed teen knew _exactly_ why his mother was acting so controlling—she didn't want to risk her son coming into contact with Sasuke. It wasn't as though Naruto hadn't thought about finding him, because he had, but he didn't want to awaken the wrath of Uzumaki Kushina. Still, some of the times he had gone out with his friends, Naruto would subtly look around for a familiar raven hair style. He had been discouraged each time; nonetheless, hope had blossomed in the blond's chest that he and Sasuke would see each other again.

On a particular sunny afternoon on the fourteenth of July, Naruto just couldn't take his mother's meddling ways anymore and a brief argument commenced…

"You're suffocating me!" he screamed at Kushina, the two of them standing in the foyer of their home. "Why do you have so many boundaries? I'm almost eighteen years old; I shouldn't have to feel like a prisoner every time I leave the house! All Kiba and I were planning on doing was chilling at the mall, and going over his house for the weekend."

"Don't you dare raise your voice at me, Uzumaki Naruto! I'm your mother, and I don't believe that's what you're planning on doing. For all I know you could be planning to spend the entire night doing Kami-knows-what! I thought we agreed you wouldn't fight with me?" the redheaded woman countered, her voice on the verge of yelling.

"I said I'd _try_, but you're making that difficult with the way you're treating me. Look, you can't all of a sudden being a strict parent just because you don't trust me. I want to hang out with my friend, that's it. What's so wrong with that?" Naruto replied, his tone lessening in severity.

Kushina opened her mouth to retort, but snapped it shut moments later once she took the time to think about what the other had said. What really _was_ wrong with just letting her teenage son spend the night at a friend's house? It wasn't like he had done anything to rouse her suspicion thus far, he had even essentially listened to every rule she had said. _I'm overreacting…_

"There's…nothing wrong with that," Kushina carefully started. "You're right. I just overreacted, is all. I don't have a problem with you staying the weekend at Kiba's."

Naruto's once troubled expression changed into a huge grin. "So, you'll let me?"

"Yes," his mother confirmed, smiling when Naruto started a happy dance. "But," she dragged the word out, causing the blond to stop dancing and furrow his eyebrows. "I'll be calling Kiba's mother later on to make sure you're at his house, and I still expect you to call every four hours until you fall asleep."

"Is that all, Ka-chan, dear?" Naruto asked almost jokingly, a smile never leaving his lips.

"Yeah, I think that about covers it." Kushina felt good; it was nice to see her son teasing her like he used to.

"Okay, then I'm heading out now," the blond said, picking up his discarded overnight bag he had thrown on the floor. "I'll see you in two days."

"Alright, Naruto. Have fun."

"Thanks," the tanned male muttered, his hand reaching to open the front door before he thought of something. "…Oh, and Ka-chan? I'm sorry for yelling at you."

Kushina's heart swelled as she stared back at the teen. "I'm sorry too. I promise I'll be less suffocating from now on."

Naruto gave his mother one last smile prior to letting himself outside and closing the door. Kushina stood there for several more seconds, her eyes glued to the shut door. With a reassured grin to herself, the woman then spun on her feet and headed in the direction of the living room.

On the other side of the city twenty minutes before, one disgruntled black haired male was stalking his way across a parking lot after his older brother had basically kicked him out of the apartment. It was officially the first day of his summer break, and Sasuke wasn't due back to work until Monday morning. Sasuke hadn't intended to do anything all day, figuring he owed it to himself for having labored hard and often.

Itachi, on the other hand, hadn't felt the same. He reasoned that a young man Sasuke's age should be doing something productive with his time, like getting out in the world and socializing. He had told Sasuke afterward that he didn't want to see him for at least three hours. Sasuke gritted his teeth as he recalled that event, cursing his brother to the deepest levels of hell. Even with them getting along better, Itachi still had a tendency to torment the other.

Reaching his vehicle, the raven headed man took out his keys from his pocket and unlocked the car door. He slammed the door harshly as he clambered inside, deftly putting one of the keys into the ignition to start the engine. Putting on his seat belt, the Uchiha set the automobile in reverse and pulled out of the space. He was cruising on the highway within moments.

With no place he wanted to go in mind, Sasuke spent about fifteen minutes just driving around. The rocking motion of the vehicle's propel began to calm the usually stiff brunette as he drove. Alone with his thoughts, Sasuke contemplated his brother's words and actually considered calling either Shikamaru or Chouji. The two other brunettes were still decent acquaintances of his, although Chouji sometimes grew awkward around him since finding out Sasuke was gay. In spite of that, hanging around them would at least pass the time.

As fast as the idea had developed, it was just as hastily pushed aside. Shikamaru and Chouji were regularly the ones whom contacted or invited _him._ Questions would be asked about why Sasuke was getting in touch with them if he were the person to call. In the midst of that logic, the dark haired male's mind wandered some more, ultimately leading to a golden haired Adonis.

_Naruto_…_how I miss you_…_how I long to kiss your lips_…

Sasuke wondered, as he maneuvered his car forward, where the blond was at the exact moment and what he was doing. Was he happy? Was he healthy? Was he thinking about Sasuke as much as Sasuke was thinking about him? _Did he find somebody else? _Such a consideration made the raven gasp out loud, his anguish more than evident.

While the inner agony pulsed within, Sasuke reflexively drove down the recognizable street he knew by heart, the Uzumaki's two-story house appearing in his view. The lovely home was almost as he remembered, apart from the grass not being as trimmed. Why he chose to see the house after more than a year, he didn't know.

Stopping his vehicle diagonally from the house's walkway, Sasuke noticed a running taxi to the side of him, the driver obviously waiting for someone. The obsidian eyed man was confused in regards to the cab, but decided it had nothing to do with him. Looking through the passenger side window, Sasuke watched the home longingly, his hand then lowering to put the car back into drive when he presumed he had been there long enough.

Just as he was about to pull away from the curb, the front door to the Uzumaki abode inched opened, a glint of flaxen catching Sasuke's gray-black irises. The male's head snapped to the side as a teen body emerged. Sweet Kami-sama, he knew that face! He knew that hair, those eyes, even that smile as pearly whites graced the inside of that luscious mouth. Oh, goodness, it was him! It really was him!

His torture, his anger, his happiness, his lover, his heart, his obsession, his Naruto…

The said teen was skipping towards the taxi, oblivious to the pair of hungry eyes studying him. Entering into the yellow vehicle, Naruto and the driver conversed for an instant before the taxi carted away to travel through the modest neighborhood. Sasuke turned his steering wheel to make a U-turn, intent on following his new found lover.

Naruto arrived at the mall a quarter before four; he swiftly paid the taxi driver previous to ambling toward the main building's entrance. Because of the weekend, there were masses of people walking in and out of the diverse number of structures, chatter resounding from different consumers. Naruto had time to kill since Kiba wouldn't be meeting him for quite some time.

The brown haired teen had called Naruto an hour before they were expected to meet. His sister Hana, who was supposed to drop off him, apparently had bailed on him. Kiba now had to wait for his mother to get off of work, and she normally didn't get home until four thirty. Of course, Naruto could've asked his own mom to pick up Kiba and drop the both of them off, but he needed more breathing room from her.

Strolling through some of the aisles that made up the inside of the mall, the blond headed boy peered at any singular store that piqued his interest. He stalked from one direction to the next for ten minutes until he came across a tattoo/piercing shop. Waltzing inside, Naruto looked around the site, perceiving its dimness.

Behind a wooden counter a foot away from the opening sat a red headed man, a few years older than Naruto. He had pale skin, his hair was chin-length, and he had numerous piercings on his face. His contact colored eyes stared back at Naruto as the blond stepped closer.

"Appointment or walk-in?" the pierced male inquired coolly.

"Neither; I was just curious."

"Curious about piercings, tattoos, or both?"

"Tattoos, I guess."

"Did you have a question then?"

Naruto grimaced at the other's monotone voice. "I…think I might want a tattoo of a swirl on my stomach. Could you do that in one setting?"

The older finally showed a hint of emotion, his lips tilting into an almost smile. "Sure, kid. You're at least eighteen, right?"

"Shit no; not until October."

"Well, come back in three months, I'll do it for you. Just make sure you bring in an ID."

"Okay, thanks," Naruto said, turning his back on the guy and exiting from the shop. _How could a person be cool and creepy at the same time?_

Sasuke was on the precipice of pulling out his hair. He had been searching for the dope for the last fifteen minutes or so, and yet he hadn't find a clue of the younger's whereabouts. After he had trailed the taxi cab to the mall, the raven had parked as close to the entrance as he could get. He had then witnessed the blond coming into the shopping mall but had lost sight of him, the crowd of people obscuring his beloved's outline.

Stalking passed a kid-oriented store, the black headed Uchiha made his way to the public bathrooms, hoping miraculously that the boy he loved would somehow appear from the corner's hallway. Leaning against the edge of the wall near the lavatory's corridor, Sasuke kept his eyes peeled, ignoring everyone else around him. No one else mattered, anyway.

More time slipped by, and Sasuke could feel the peak of failure surfacing. Pushing off the wall, Sasuke rotated his body to the left, and nearly choked on his own spit. Naruto was merely four yards away from him, the golden boy walking at a leisure pace. The black haired man went toward him, wanting, _needing_, to touch him. Sasuke would've called out to the other male, but Naruto without warning entered inside an antique store.

Making a sound of irritation, Sasuke pursued the other vigilantly. Once he walked into the store, the raven's eyes zeroed in right onto Naruto. _He's even more beautiful than I remember, _he thought as he took a careful stride. He came right behind the blond, his arm lifting to grasp Naruto's right shoulder. Sasuke was about to open his mouth to whisper his lover's name when the most wonderful thing happened.

Slowly, ever so slowly, Naruto turned his head back, having sensed someone coming up behind him. As soon as their eyes connected, it was as though the Earth tilted on its axis, the telltale signal of a catastrophe occurring yet people being powerless to cease the disaster.

Naruto blinked once, twice, three times; his lips parting in what Sasuke believed was an adorable fashion. Moving forward, Sasuke at last got to touch the one person he had been craving for a total of two years, his hand clutching the hem of the younger's shirt.

Even with that simple touch, neither male was willing to break the precious eye contact.

* * *

**Interesting Facts Relating to Chapter 2.**

**1. It took three drafts, two spell-checks, and five hours to complete.**

**2. Naruto's and Sasuke's lives are parallel to one another, leading up to their meeting.**

**3. My first draft I was actually going to have Sasuke encounter Naruto at his house, but decided against it.**

**4. A lot of this chapter consisted of people driving/riding in cars.**

**Take care, my glorious readers!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, its characters and/or ideas. All rights belong to Masashi Kishimoto.

**A/N: **This chapter has been edited due to explicit sexual content. To read full version, go to the the live journal profile page: ireallydonthate (the web address is on my FF profile page).

* * *

**Enchaining**

**en·chain: 1.** To bind (with chains). **2.** To hold fast or captivate (the attention of, etc).** 3.** To yoke; (keep someone close).

* * *

**3.**

**Summer—July**

Naruto couldn't believe what he was seeing; it was as though he were having an out-of-body experience, and that the scene unfolding before him was actually happening to a whole different person. His once lost lover was somehow standing at arm's length, the pools of his midnight orbs burning into the blond's with a fiery adoration that left Naruto utterly speechless.

The tanned teen was ensnared in a whirlwind of conflicting emotions, and he was unsure of how he should proceed. Many questions then began to pop in his head as the two males resumed their intense staring, the area encasing them seemingly becoming nothing more than a distant reverie. A delighted smirk suddenly wormed onto the older's face, and it was enough for Naruto's eyes to glaze over in a heated pool of desire.

Regrettably, the moment was interrupted when a female sales rep walked towards them to ask, "Hello. Can I help you, gentlemen?"

Sasuke's smirk turned into an aggravated frown as he eyed the young woman contemptuously. "No, we're quite fine here," he almost snapped, removing his hand from the other's shirt.

The sales rep's smile wavered; she sensed the brunette man's displeasure. "…Okay, well, if you need anything, don't hesitate to find me." Without waiting for another response, the woman hastily ambled in the other direction, wanting to distance herself from the intimidating raven.

The Uchiha didn't even react to the female's departure, his eyes just drifted right back to the blue-eyed teen. Naruto, on his part, appeared to break from his self-induced trance and gave the older a confused look before he too gave a smirk, his light whisker-like markings enhancing his cheekbones. Tilting his head to the side in a pointed gesture, Naruto side-stepped Sasuke, ostensibly stalking away from the latter. Sasuke initially was bewildered with the motion; that is until Naruto stopped near the exit and looked over his shoulder to gaze meaningfully at him.

_He wants me to follow him, _Sasuke quickly realized, a pleasurable sensation erupting throughout his loins.

Coolly placing his hands in his jean pockets, Sasuke then tagged behind his beloved as the two left the antique store. Naruto was sauntering a few feet ahead of him, yet Sasuke walked unhurriedly, mingling with the various shoppers flooding the inside of the mall. Every once in awhile, Naruto would look back at him, a mischievous gleam shining in his eyes. That gleam alone had Sasuke all the more hungry for him.

Within a couple of minutes, the duo reached the corridor that led to the public restrooms. Naruto entered the hallway first, his stomach knotting as he thought about what was bound to happen between him and Sasuke. The said man wasn't too far back; he arrived at the edge of the hall soon after, momentarily halting his steps to watch as Naruto walked passed one of the lone men's restrooms. The Uzumaki male gave a last look previous to disappearing behind another corner.

Sasuke decided to wait a short period before making his way in the direction the blond had walked. _Where is he going?_ His internal question was shortly answered as he came upon a deserted hallway, a space most likely off-limits to the public eye. His eyes landed on the younger male, ogling him as Naruto casually leaned against the far wall with a pack hoisted over his shoulder. The boy looked positively ravishing, his toned body oozing sex appeal as he granted Sasuke another playful smirk. The Uchiha then headed for the other, his heart pounding wildly in his ribcage.

Coming to stand right in front of the teen, Sasuke nearly swooned when Naruto finally separated his lips to whisper, "Sasuke…"

Sasuke didn't need any more prompting. Using his strong arms, he lifted Naruto upward from his waist, zealously kissing his blond lover like he never had before. Naruto whined into Sasuke's mouth as a hot tongue probed the inside of his mouth, his legs instinctively wrapping around the older's hips as he tried to level himself. The Uzumaki started to grow excited as the kisses deepened; it felt as though Sasuke wanted to devour him with how deep his wet muscle was exploring Naruto's oral cavity.

When Sasuke's tongue repetitively massaged against a sensitive lower gum, Naruto's arousal skyrocketed, and the teen found himself rubbing on the Uchiha's clad groin. Sasuke grunted at the friction, releasing the younger's swollen lips long enough to drop his hands to the forefront of Naruto's pants. The golden boy seized Sasuke's shoulders as the mentioned male undid Naruto's button and zipper. Shoving the boy's pants down in haste along with his bag, Sasuke then made work of his own jeans, his hands fumbling to reveal his boxers outside of his denims.

Recapturing Sasuke's mouth in a lip lock, Naruto's right hand slithered down Sasuke's torso. Sasuke groaned through the kiss as the pleasure increased, his skin sizzling from the space's humidity. The blond watched enraptured as the older male's cheeks flushed a healthy scarlet and his eyes lidded in half delirium. _What a sight to behold…_

"You like that?" Naruto questioned, freeing Sasuke's lips to seductively lick at their plump seam.

With a slight growl and a flash in his half lidded eyes, Sasuke hunched his hand downward to slow down the blond. The abrupt movement almost caused Naruto to fall, but Sasuke was faster. He stooped his legs downward to push his body closer to Naruto's, trapping the boy between his chest and the wall. Naruto arch his back and moan even louder than before.

"Shh," cautioned Sasuke, cupping Naruto's mouth with his unoccupied hand to muffle his moans. "We don't want anyone to hear us, do we?"

All the blond could do was shake his head and try to quiet the noises he were making. Adjusting his and Naruto's body weight to position himself, Sasuke then pulled down more of Naruto's boxers, kissing the younger's forehead as he did so. The blond widened his legs as much as he could to assist his lover, his pants sliding down to rest on his thighs.

"Are you ready for me?" Sasuke asked, his tone lowering into a husky grumble.

"Yes," Naruto whispered devotedly. "Take me, Sasuke. I'm all yours."

The blond sighed in satisfaction as Sasuke delicately plunged deep inside. This was the first time the two of them were connecting together without a condom, and the feat was more than alluring. Sasuke waited a couple of beats for Naruto to get used to the feeling. Naruto rasped in surprise when Sasuke pulled out and set him down. He then spun Naruto around to face the wall. Naruto didn't get a chance to recover.

Loosening his upper body from Naruto's backside, the raven barely caught the other when Naruto's exhausted body slumped toward the ground. He then turned the blond back around as the couple lowered to their knees, Sasuke giving Naruto's reddened face butterfly kisses to calm him.

The sound of puffs coming from the two spent males was disrupted when Naruto started jokingly, "We've got to stop meeting like this."

"Indeed," Sasuke chuckled.

"I can't believe you're here…with me…right now."

"Hn."

Naruto's face softened at the older's familiar sound. "I missed you."

The teen was unprepared as Sasuke leaned over to grab his chin, his once smirking face becoming serious. "I missed you, more than anyone could possibly know," he said softly, kissing Naruto sweetly on the lips.

Naruto returned the kiss instantly, nipping on the raven's upper lip. Just as Naruto opened his mouth to welcome Sasuke's tongue back inside, a low vibration echoed in the golden teen's pants. Breaking the kiss with an infuriated huff, Naruto rummaged in his rumpled clothing, looking for the source of the noise. He took out his cell phone to see who might've called or texted him, hoping inwardly that it wasn't from his mother.

Once he saw that it was a text from Kiba, Naruto released a pleased breath. "My friend Kiba just texted me," he explained to the other. "He's asking where the hell I am. I'm actually supposed to be meeting him. Time sure flies fast when you're having fun, eh?"

Sasuke snorted, rising in a stance to pull his jeans up. "I suppose he's waiting for you inside the mall?"

"Yeah," Naruto answered, standing upward himself and pulling his pants back on. "I would much rather hang out with you, but if my mom where to find out, she'd…" he trailed off, glancing to the side as he buttoned his slacks.

"She's been giving you a hard time." It wasn't a question; it was a statement, curt and true.

"Very. Nowadays, she acts more like a disciplinarian than a mother. I mean, I almost couldn't come to the mall by myself because she is so paranoid and distrustful. I had to convince her that all I was planning on doing was hanging out with Kiba, and going over to his house for the weekend."

"And yet here you are, after just having sex with me," the older quipped, stepping near the blond to embrace him. Sasuke was by no means oblivious; he knew the basis of Kushina's prying had to do with the fact that she didn't want the two of them to encounter each other.

"Life sure is funny that way," Naruto consented, cuddling the other male back.

Sasuke held onto Naruto longer than was needed before backing up a bit to say, "Stay with me."

"You can hang out with me and Kiba, if you want," Naruto's expression was hopeful until he saw Sasuke's frown. "Okay, bad idea," he stated with a snicker. "Why don't I just give you my new cell phone number."

Taking out his mobile again, Naruto witnessed as Sasuke did the same; the pair of males exchanging their new numbers into each other's phones. Naruto was curious about why Sasuke had a new number as well, but choose to ask him about it at a later date. He figured he wasn't the only one who was having domestic problems.

"I'll probably be bugging you all the time now," the cerulean eyed teen said once he had gotten Sasuke's number, shoving his cell phone back into his pocket.

Making a hum of acknowledgement, Sasuke grabbed onto his beloved for a second time, nuzzling his nose into the tantalizing golden locks. Naruto's arms as a result wrapped around Sasuke's middle, a purr of contentment emitting from deep in his chest. Neither male wanted to let go of the other, afraid that they may be divided once again if the moment were to cease. The sudden thud of footsteps coincidentally sprung the lovers apart as an older male worker appeared at the border of the space.

"Hey, what are you kids doing here?" the worker demanded in a harsh pitch. "No one is allowed back here. This is a restricted area."

The said man shrunk back a little when he was shot with two deadly glares, his self-assurance dwindling. Sasuke and Naruto didn't say anything to him; Naruto just bent down to retrieve his bag from the ground. He and the dark haired Uchiha then stalked passed the shell-shocked worker, Sasuke gripping Naruto's hand as they left. The minute the pair were far enough away, the man gained his confidence back to mumble underneath his breath, "Kids these days have no respect."

"I bet that guy is going to be so pissed when he sees the mess we left behind," Naruto uttered with a cheeky grin. Sasuke smirked in concurrence.

Strolling into the restroom with stalls, the blond and raven used the sinks to clean themselves up before walking back to the entrance of the public lavatory's hallway. The couple discounted the horde of people as they then planted their bodies in the center of one of the mall's walkways, blocking the aisle without a care.

"You sure you don't want to hang out with us?" inquired the golden teen pleadingly.

Sasuke actually mused over the invite, but in the end decided against it. He didn't want to share his lover's attention with someone else. "I'd rather we be alone."

Naruto knew he was taking a gamble with Sasuke's plead; his mother would be furious if she were to find out that he and Sasuke were actually meeting up again. The consequences of doing such a thing could be dire for the both of them. Not to mention he would be ditching his friend who was still waiting for him. Even so, Naruto didn't want to part from the older man just yet, and he deduced that he could catch up with Kiba later on.

"…Okay, but only for a little while," the blond relented. "I can't keep Kiba hanging for too long. Plus, my mom said she would call his mom to make sure I made it to his house. The last thing I need is my mom calling the police on me."

After texting Kiba to let him know he would be awhile longer, he and Sasuke then left the mall's main building and sauntered through the parking lot to enter Sasuke's vehicle. The pair rode around the city for a spell, talking and laughing with each other as the afternoon sky flared with purples and oranges. At one point, Sasuke had stopped near a wilderness area and the two of them had had another round of sex in the back seat of the raven's automobile. Naruto had never thought of himself as an exhibitionist, but the day had proven to him that he was more than willing to seek the thrill of being discovered.

An hour later, Sasuke drove the teen back to the mall, a heavy feeling settling in his body. He wanted to remain with his beloved, but understood the ramifications of keeping Naruto all to himself. He didn't want to risk Naruto getting in trouble either, and he sure as hell didn't want to deal with one hotheaded redhead again.

"So…talk to you later or whatever," Naruto said bashfully as he stepped out of Sasuke's car, a blush overcoming his features. "Love you…"

Sasuke was so elated with the declaration that if it weren't for the many people being around, he would've taken Naruto again, then and there. "I love you, too."

Eyes sparkling, hearts beating, the two males gave each other a final kiss and subsequently severed their gazes as Naruto walked toward the mall's entrance and Sasuke shut his car door. What the males failed to realize was that the both of them had glanced back to stare at one another when the other hadn't been looking.

* * *

"Would you mind telling me why the hell it took you more than an hour to meet me?_!_" Inuzuka Kiba practically bawled as soon as Naruto emerged from the moving crowd of customers to amble towards him.

The aforementioned Inuzuka teen had arrived at the mall before four fifty, his mother dropping him off right in front of the mall's main entryway. He and Naruto had agreed on the phone to gather near one of the fashionable department stores, across the way from the food court. Kiba had thought that the lighter haired boy would already be at their chosen location since the brown haired male knew he was going to be the one to be late. Hence, why he had been puzzled when Naruto was nowhere to be found.

Looking for Naruto throughout the mall, Kiba then had opted to text the younger to establish where he was. Naruto had taken his precious time just to answer him back, his text stating that he would be awhile. As expected, the brunette became angry; he had had to walk by himself, buying some of the supplies he had intended to purchase with his friend.

"I didn't take _that _long," differed Naruto, treading alongside the other ungracefully as Kiba marched forward with his plastic bags.

"The fuck you didn't! I've been walking around here by myself, bored out of my mind! And why are you walking like that?" asked Kiba, belatedly noticing the blond's limping.

Kiba's eyebrows shot upward as he watched Naruto's cheeks flush. "What are you talking about?" Naruto tried to be coy with his query.

"Dude, you're like hobbling on your feet. What's wrong with you?"

"I, uh…twisted my ankle on the way over here."

The brown haired teen narrowed his eyes, not at all believing the younger. "Where were you, _really_?"

"What is this, twenty questions are something?"

"Tell me where you were," Kiba insisted.

"I ran into an old friend," Naruto said in exasperation, quickening his steps to move away from the irritating male. "Can you stop with the questions now?"

_Something's going on, _the brunette rationalized in his juvenile mind as he sped up to walk side by side with the blond. The blushing, the limping, and the fact that Naruto had had him wait for more than an hour told of an incident. Trying and failing to get Naruto to disclose more, Kiba eventually dropped the matter, seeing as though the other began texting happily on his mobile. The two wandered around the expanse of the mall for an additional thirty minutes before Naruto grew restless, particularly when Kiba started to shamelessly flirt with a group of girls. Recognizing that his friend was becoming tired of him, the tattooed face adolescent called his own mother to come and pick the both of them up.

Inuzuka Tsume came rolling into the shopping mall's parking lot fifteen minutes later, the sky above morphing into a light blue twilight. The said woman was a feisty character with short, spiky brown hair and identical triangle tattoos on her own cheeks. She gave the boys an impressive leer as the pair climbed into the inside of her vehicle.

"That sure was fast," she commented, putting the car into drive to pull onto the highway. "I thought for sure you punks would be in there for hours, losing brain cells to those ridiculous arcade games."

"We didn't even go to the arcade," Kiba muttered as he and Naruto buckled their seat belts. "Naruto decided to be a sour puss the entire time."

The blond teen slightly frowned at the other while Tsume barked a laugh. "That doesn't surprise me. You can be quite annoying, pup," she decreed, the jibe aimed at her son.

Kiba sputtered as Naruto chuckled himself a bit. "I-It wasn't my fault! I was so bored, and Naruto didn't even meet me right away!"

Not wanting to call attention to himself, the blond abruptly asked, "Tsume, did my mom happen to call you?"

"No, why?"

"She said she was going to later today to make sure I made it to your house."

"Does Kushina really have to call me for something like that?" Tsume questioned, her eyes fixed on the dark road. "She sounds like she doesn't trust you."

"She doesn't."

The older woman had more to say on the topic, but settled on keeping her opinions to herself, knowing she would indirectly offend the kid if she were to talk some more. The Inuzukas' one-story house came into sights once Tsume had turned into a singular road, the other houses in the neighborhood styled with sturdy wood and thatch roofs. The three exited from the vehicle after Tsume had turned off the engine, and walked on the dirt path that led to the front door of the structure.

Kiba and Naruto entered the house at the same time, the teens making their way to the former's bedroom while Tsume sauntered to her own room. Kiba's bedroom was of medium size with a double/full bed, a wooden dresser, a laptop in the corner, a small television in the center, and a wall-closet on the far left hand side.

Stepping into the room, Naruto chucked his overnight bag on the brunette's wrinkled bed before stating, "I'll be right back; I'm going to use the shower real quick."

"Okay…" Kiba said slowly, walking across his room to start up his laptop. He watched Naruto take out his articles of clothing through the corner of his eyes, wondering why the other wanted to take a shower at that exact moment.

Tucking his selected attires underneath his arm, the cerulean eyed teen then headed for the bathroom down the hall. Naruto had slept over the Inuzukas a few other times before, and knew where Tsume placed the extra washcloths and towels for guests. After grabbing what he needed, Naruto discarded his clothing and strode into the shower cubicle.

He turned the tap to a warm temperature, sighing in enjoyment once the refreshing water from the nozzle had poured onto his fatigued body. Twisting his wet body to the side, the blond grasped the bar of soap that was situated in the built dish on the left. He began to rub himself with the mentioned cleaning agent, the suds from the bar streaming down his torso, stomach, and legs.

With his other hand, Naruto rotated the valve in the opposite direction, letting out a small yelp when the warm water was replaced with a cold chill. The tanned teen was finally able to calm his body after a couple of minutes. Finished with his shower a little while afterwards, the blond turned off the running water and moved out of the cubicle. He then followed with wiping himself off, dressing in his clean clothes, and gathering his worn ones in his hands.

Departing from the bathroom, Naruto went back inside Kiba's room, unsurprised to find the brunette on the laptop playing games and chatting on instant messenger all at once. Uzumaki brought out his cell phone from his worn pants prior to dumping the sullied garments into Kiba's hamper. He then sat down on the other's bed.

"That wasn't quick at all," Kiba remarked absently, his eyes remaining on the PC's screen.

"Who're you talking to?" asked Naruto, choosing to ignore Kiba's offhanded comment.

"This hot chick I met at a party a few weeks ago," the brown headed male answered with a wolfish grin, at last looking back at the younger. "I invited her and a few other friends over since my mom and sister are going to be out of the house for the rest of the weekend."

"A few other friends?" Naruto reiterated, a dubious smile lifting his lips. "Knowing you, you'll probably invite enough people to have your own party."

"Naw, it won't be like that. We're just going to kick back, that's all."

"Right," the blond dragged out the word playfully with a roll of his eyes. "I'm going to call my mom before she sends in the apocalypse."

Wanting solitude, Naruto removed himself from the brunette's bedroom and stepped into the hallway to call his mother. Kushina picked up the line on the second ring, questioning her son on his whereabouts and the like. The two conversed for a few more moments before Naruto walked to Tsume's bedroom door. He knocked thrice, handing over his cell to Tsume once she had opened the door.

After Tsume was done talking with his mom, she gave the boy back his cell phone before slamming shut the barrier. Naruto pocketed the device, composedly stalking back to Kiba's room.

"Alright, punks, I'm off," Tsume said, poking her head into her son's room a half hour later. "I left some money on the counter for any food you might want. Heed my warning when I say I _do not _want my house destroyed while I'm gone, or asses will be kicked. Am I clear?"

"Yeah, whatever, Ma. Bye," Kiba mumbled dismissively, his chocolate orbs glued to his television as he and Naruto sat on his bed playing video games.

"Whatever yourself, punk brat. You kids behave yourselves," the woman said in a mock hiss before leaving her son's doorway to exit from the house.

Kiba and Naruto resumed with their game playing until the doorbell rang throughout the interior of the house. Contrary to what the brown haired male had stated, the assurance of inviting only a _few_ people over had become like some type of party, swarms of teens were coming in and outside of the house as the evening continued onward. Naruto, nonetheless, helped Kiba with the preparations, being the one to call for food deliveries.

Within a matter of hours, the house had converted into a full blown bash. Music from the Inuzukas' stereo was playing, teenagers were dancing, and couples were making out on any portion of furniture they came across. Naruto himself had even been asked for a dance, but he denied each girl that had. The majority of the people present he didn't know that well, anyway. _Of course, Kiba would leave me alone with these people__…_

Noticing some of the couples surrounding him, a pang of excitement crept in his chest as he thought about his dark haired lover. It had merely been six hours since the two had last seen each other, and yet Naruto was itching to see him again. Taking out his cell phone as he lounged on the Inuzukas' living room couch, the blond decided to message him.

_What are you doing?_ Naruto questioned the Uchiha via text.

Sasuke replied back several seconds later with, _Trying not to murder my brother. Took you long enough to contact me again._

_I texted you a few hours ago, _the golden haired teen typed, sniggering. _You just can't enough of me, can you?_

_Hn. Vice versa._

…_True. I actually can't wait to see you again._

Sasuke took a long pause before he texted, _Let me come and get you then._

_You mean right now?_

_Yes._

Naruto stopped texting for a few minutes and stared at his monitor, thinking. Could he really jeopardize his freedom like that in order to see the man? He swiftly came up with an answer that satisfied him. He would just have to be extra, _extra_ careful from now on. _Okay, I'll be outside when you get here, _he finally texted before sending the other Kiba's address.

Hoisting his body from the couch, the blond then walked to his friend's room to retrieve his bag. He came back into the living area, his eyes scanning the space to look for Kiba. The said tattooed male was leaning against a love seat, kissing an unrecognizable dark headed female ardently. Naruto came up behind him, bending down to tap the other teen on the shoulder.

Breaking the kiss, Kiba somewhat glared at Naruto over the same shoulder. "What, man?"

"I wanted to let you know I'll be gone for a little while," the younger said sheepishly.

The annoyance from Kiba's eyes changed into concern as he moved away from the girl to inquiry, "Why? What happened?"

"Nothing," assured Naruto, not willing to divulge any more than that. "Just know it's not anything serious, and that I'll be back no later than Sunday."

Inuzuka scoffed, the annoyance reemerging. "What's up with you ditching me today?"

Naruto's face fell, an enormous guilt slinking in his chest. "I-I promise I'll make it up to you. Just cover for me until Sunday, 'k?"

Kiba stared at him intently before releasing a breath. "Okay, fine," he said softly. "To be fair, I've been kinda ditching you today, too. I guess I'll see you later then."

"Thanks, Kibs," Naruto uttered prior to leaving the occupied living space. The brunette watched him briefly before bringing his attention back to the girl.

* * *

Naruto let out a last moan, ultimately sprawling back onto the crinkled bed sheets underneath him. Sasuke collapsed on top of him, kissing his exposed skin lazily as the blond boy gasped in the aftermath of their passion. The motel room the pair was currently inhabiting was an inexpensive span in another city an hour away. The moonlight from outdoors was illuminating the furniture's frame through the window, hitting the wood at a ninety degree angle.

The blue eyed male shivered as the room's cool air hit his clammy body, his fingers gliding through damp raven hair. Sasuke nestled his face into the other's neck, kissing him for a final time. A hum of approval escaped from the Uchiha's throat as the blond continued to pet his head ever so soothingly.

Wrapping his arms around Naruto's torso, Sasuke whispered into the otherwise quiet room. "I never want to let you go again."

The strings of Naruto's heart tugged as the older's tender words repeated in his mind. The love the two men had for one another was at times overwhelming, and Naruto often thought that their devotion to each other was too fanatical, too sudden. Was it possible to fall for someone that hard?

Remaining in contemplative silence for numerous minutes, the teen eventually murmured. "I still can't believe we found each other," then as an afterthought amended. "Or rather, _you _found _me, _Stalker-san."

Sasuke half smirked in counter, elevating his head to plant a series of kisses on the other's bruised lips. Pulling away from his beloved, the raven man gazed at Naruto, his irises portraying all the emotions he felt at that exact moment. Naruto looked back, originally curious with Sasuke's staring before he became lost in those almond shaped obsidian eyes. The couple gaped at one another for a stretched amount of time until Naruto turned his head to the side, embarrassed.

"Don't hide from me," said Sasuke, caressing Naruto's cheek to coax him out of his discomfiture.

Turning his face frontward once more, the younger responded with, "I can't help it. When you stare at me like that…I…I don't know…feel all fuzzy inside. It's weird."

"You enjoy the attention."

"Huh," the blond grunted, the sound recognition to Sasuke's smug reply.

Idly, the Uzumaki male began to reflect on the last several hours, his eyes unseeing as he stared over Sasuke's mane. The guilt he had felt previous revealed itself, the remorse causing his expression to wane. Sasuke, noticing the look on his lover's countenance, frowned as an effect; he didn't like how the other had gotten still.

"What are you thinking about?" the black haired man asked, seemingly unaffected.

"Sasuke…I know you're tired of hearing me say this, but I feel bad right now. I left my best friend to be with you when I was planning on staying the weekend with him. To top it all off, my mom thinks I'm just having an innocent sleepover, when really I'm doing the one thing that will break her trust even more with me. It's like two years ago is happening all over again."

The raven's eyes narrowed and his nostrils flared, a pang of jealousy and hurt rising in his stomach. "You didn't have a problem being with me earlier."

"I don't have a problem being with you now; it's everything else that's bothering me," the other hastily rejoined, noting Sasuke was becoming disgruntled.

It appeared as though Sasuke wasn't going to say anything else on the issue, and Naruto was just about to be disheartened when the older proposed evenly, "You should tell your mother about us."

Naruto's eyes enlarged in shocked befuddlement. "You can't be serious; it'll never work! You know if I tell her about us, she'll just try to separate us again."

"I'm dead serious. I think you should just tell her. You're practically an adult now, Naruto. Kushina can't dictate your life forever."

"What if I tell her and she doesn't accept us? What would we do then?"

Pushing himself upward with both his palms on opposite sides of Naruto's head, Sasuke gawked directly into azure orbs to say, "We'd do whatever it took, even if that meant running away together."

Naruto, without verbal warning, grabbed onto Sasuke's shoulders, yanking him down to capture his lips in a frenzy. The pair of young males made out with such an urgency that was full of longing. When the concept of breathing became a necessity, Sasuke and Naruto broke apart, panting rather heavily.

"I'll think about it," the golden headed boy said in answer to Sasuke's offer. "Now," he began again after a pause. "As soon as the sun comes up, you and I are going to spend the day together on a proper date."

In truth to the blond's words, the minute the sun arose, the duo extracted themselves from the bed and headed into the bathroom to cleanse their bodies. The two then slipped into casual apparel, their outfits fitting cozily onto their forms. Naruto made sure to call his mother before they departed from the motel room, grateful when the woman didn't ask needless questions.

The first part of the morning was spent with the males eating breakfast at a local café, a mere block away from the motel's diminutive building. Conversing with each other in a cushioned booth in the back of the shop, Naruto and Sasuke shared the past year and half between one another, the blue eyed teen wincing in sympathy and guilt when Sasuke told him about his rejection from his own family.

Naruto felt his heart go out to his raven headed lover as Sasuke probed deep with his troubles correlated with his relatives and college life. The way he told his story reminded the tanned male of his own plight; the irony of their lives being similar to each other wasn't lost on either male.

By the time noon arrived, Sasuke and Naruto were strolling around the countryside, holding hands whenever there weren't that many people in the area. The region the couple were ambling on was a dappled terrain, consisting of distant mountains, fresh foliage, and small parks. Finding a stone bench in the middle of one of those parks, Naruto reached his mother for a second time, making sure to shorten the call as much as possible.

"You're mother is unreasonable," the Uchiha stated with an annoyed scowl after Naruto hung up his cellular phone. The latter couldn't have agreed more.

Well into the afternoon, the two resumed their walking outside. The settling for them was perfect, and both Sasuke and Naruto were thankful to be together again after such a distressed parting. The later day became even more wonderful when harmonized flutes, clappers, and drums reverberated throughout the vicinity.

"Hey, look Sasuke!" Naruto pointed to a bustle of activity ahead of them with his finger. "It's a festival! Let's go check it out."

If the onyx eyed man had been with anybody else, he would've refused the request. He wasn't too big on festivals, but this was the boy, no—man—of his dreams, and the raven was willing to do anything for his desire.

The jovial celebration was packed with some young people wearing animal masks, crowds devouring the masses of available food, and groups enjoying the music. There were stalls situated within the covered grounds, and children were lining up to receive various rewards. When the tunes from the instruments began to slow, Naruto unconsciously rolled his hips to the beat, dancing sensually for any person whom was watching.

And, boy, was Sasuke watching! The said male's mouth was watering, and his groin was stiffening. He had been tempted to stalk in front of his beloved and stroke underneath the other's shirt to touch the defined muscles of Naruto's flat stomach. _Too bad I would probably be arrested for indecent exposure, _Sasuke considered with a hungry smirk aimed at his blond.

Phoning Kushina two other times throughout the evening, (conveniently away from the buzz of the festival), the males then decided to call it a night, sauntering back to Sasuke's vehicle that was parked about twenty minutes in the opposite direction. Naruto felt happiness as he and the older traveled back to the motel. Except with having to call his mom, the blond hadn't thought about her or Kiba since before the festival. It was nice to not have to deal with his founded guilt all of the time.

"Thanks for giving me such a great day," Naruto murmured an hour afterwards, he and Sasuke settling into the motel room's bed.

"Anything for you," whispered the dark haired male before shutting his eyes to fall into an eased slumber.

The next day, Sasuke drove Naruto back to Kiba's house, the ride uplifting for the both of them. The blond remained tight lipped with his shaggy brunette friend about the whole affair, opting instead to help the older clean his house given that Kiba had made such a mess of the property with his supposed 'non'-party the day before.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, its characters and/or ideas. All rights belong to Masashi Kishimoto.

* * *

**Enchaining**

**en·chain: 1.** To bind (with chains). **2.** To hold fast or captivate (the attention of, etc).** 3.** To yoke; (keep someone close).

* * *

**4.**

**Summer—July, August**

Throughout the following week, Sasuke and Naruto either called or texted each other, their varying conversations ranging from innocuous to intimate. The former of the males had had to return back to work, thus the reason why the couple couldn't meet the other as often as they would've liked. The threat of the two of them being separated once again hovered over Naruto's mind constantly, the thought enough to fill the blond's already chaotic reflections.

Sometimes during their talks, Sasuke would try to encourage Naruto to reveal their budding relationship to the younger's mother. Naruto would naturally sway the topic away and start discussing trivial matters. The Uchiha of course would then become exasperated; but at the same time, he understood where Naruto's hesitation was coming from. The blond teen and his mother were getting along better; and true to her promise, Kushina was now allowing her son more freedom outside of the house. And even though he still had to contact her every four hours, Naruto was grateful for the respite. He didn't want to spoil anything between him and his mom by mentioning his intentions with Sasuke.

The late morning of the twenty third of July found the aforementioned raven inside of the warehouse of his occupation, sitting down near a table in the employees' lone quarters. It was his twentieth birthday, and so far Sasuke wasn't enjoying his day. He had arrived late thanks to his alarm clock switching off, and had been scolded by his boss in front of a majority of his co-workers. To top it all off, the air conditioner was broken and the heat of the summer was making the indoors difficult to work around. Sasuke was just glad that he had a forty five minute lunch break to brood over.

"Why the sulking face?" Suigetsu's sarcastic voice sounded as the said white haired teen walked from the other side of the room to sit across from Sasuke. "You ought to be happy. It's your birthday, isn't it?"

Sasuke glowered hard at the other, his food untouched and unwanted on the surface of the table. "Must you be near me?"

"Is that a trick question?" the younger male jibed with a smirk. When it was clear that Sasuke wasn't going to let up on his glare, Suigetsu lost his amused leer with a sigh. "I just thought you might want some company. You look lonely here, sitting all by yourself."

"If I wanted an idiot annoying me, I would've said so."

Suigetsu suddenly frowned at the brunette. "Well, excuse me for trying to be friendly," he said bringing his attention to a magazine he had grabbed from one of the other tables. Sasuke watched him with uncaring eyes for only a moment, grunting in disbelief. _I wonder if he was put on this Earth just to bother people, _the Uchiha mused, knowing the younger would pester him again…eventually.

An abrupt tremor from his pocket caused Sasuke to fish in his jeans and take out his cellular device. A pleased smirk emerged on his face as he read the message on its screen, _Happy Birthday, lover!_

Sasuke didn't waste any time texting his blond haired desire back. _Thank you. Are you now just getting up?_

_Yeah (laughs)_…

_You're such a dope._

_You're such an asshole, _Naruto shot back via message.

_Your point?_

_(Laughs) You astound me with your dry sense of humor. So_…_what're your plans for today besides work? We gonna celebrate or what?_

_My brother is actually taking me out to dinner this evening with some of his colleagues, _Sasuke ceased typing when an unexpected idea popped into his head. _You should join us._

Naruto didn't reply for a long time, and the dark haired male figured the other wasn't thrilled with the notion. Once his beloved did type back, Sasuke felt his lips tug downward. _I don't know…_

_If you're worried about my brother, don't be. He knows about us, and he's fine with it._

It was the truth. Itachi had already been made well aware of the blond's existence in regards to Sasuke's renouncement from his family. The weekend before, when Sasuke and Naruto had seen one another for the first time in a year in a half, the raven had come back to his sibling's apartment with a satisfied grin on his countenance. Itachi had been curious to know what his brother had done while he was out. Initially, Sasuke hadn't wanted to tell him; but in the end, disclosed about his and Naruto's reunion. The older Uchiha hadn't liked the news at first, but decided to not interfere. He had accepted Sasuke for who he was, and it was up to the younger on how he would live his life.

_He knows about us? _Naruto reiterated in his message, seemingly panicked. _Why didn't you tell me this sooner? How could you be sure he's fine with us being together?_

_I didn't think it was relevant to tell you since my brother isn't concerned about us. It's not an issue._

_You sure?_

_Positive._

Several minutes ticked by without an answering message. After what felt like forever, Naruto texted, _I'm still uneasy about this, Sasuke_…_but I'll try to come, okay?_

Sasuke wasn't assured with Naruto's reply, but he chose to endure the message…for now. The pair of males then texted back and forth for the remaining thirty five minutes of Sasuke's lunch period, mostly conversing about the restaurant the dinner was going to be held and the attire the two were planning on wearing. As soon as Sasuke's break came to a close, the Uchiha said goodbye to his lover prior to removing himself from the table to throw his meal away in the trash. _What a waste, _he mulled in disdain, trailing behind Suigetsu and his co-workers to his dreaded work shift.

Four hours later, Sasuke was finished with his scheduled time, heading towards the changing rooms. He gave a curt nod of acknowledgement to the people whom wished him a happy birthday as he passed them. Taking off his vest and hanging the fabric up in his cubicle, the raven male opened his compartment and grasped onto the photo of his Naruto. He pocketed the snapshot carefully, not wanting to damage its delicate material. He was out of the interior of the warehouse less than ten minutes afterward.

He arrived at his brother's residence that afternoon, his walking steps imperial and refined as he entered the elevator in the main office. Fumbling in his pants for the set of keys he had gotten two days before, Sasuke then took out the metal bar and stalked off the crane after the doors had opened. The black haired man wasn't surprised to find his brother lounging on the sofa in the living area as he strode into the entrance hall. Itachi was still in his business attire, having returned from his office a half hour prior.

"How was work?" questioned Itachi, without taking his eyes off of a paperback he was reading, the glasses perched on his nose making him look like a professor.

"You really should stop asking me that," Sasuke said, ambling to the kitchen to retrieve a snack.

"Well?" the older of the males asked, adeptly ignoring Sasuke's remark.

Sasuke gave a self-deprecated smirk. "A job's a job," he uttered, rummaging through the cabinets. "It's the same thing every day, aniki."

"That'll change," the crimson eyed man responded. Before Sasuke could ask him what he meant with his words, Itachi changed the subject with, "Are you looking forward to tonight?"

"We'll have to see," the younger man worded carefully, shutting the cabinet door after he had found a bag of dried fruits. Walking out of the kitchen, Sasuke stood on the side of the couch to continue with, "I invited my boyfriend to dinner with us."

"Oh?" Itachi commented, taking off his glasses with a flick of his hand. "So you're just now telling me this? What if I was to say no?"

"You won't," Sasuke stated confidently after chewing on some of the fruit he had in hand. "Otherwise I would just have to take Naruto to a hotel room. I'll spare you the rest of the details."

The older of the two brothers stared the other down seemingly impassive, his red tinted orbs twinkling. Finally, after numerous moments, Itachi chuckled before he said. "We'll be leaving in a few hours, so make sure your little boyfriend knows that. There's a clean suit for you I had tailored on your bed; think of it as one of my birthday gifts to you."

"Thank you," Sasuke said briskly before spinning around and making his way to the guestroom. Itachi witnessed his departure with an amused smirk, his sibling's offhanded mannerisms causing him enjoyment. Putting his reading glasses back on, the older Uchiha went back to his paperback, a small part of him anticipating meeting this notorious Uzumaki Naruto.

* * *

The lavish restaurant, simply known as _Whirlwind, _was one of the most expensive eateries in the outskirts of the city. The glass made building stood at approximately two-stories high and the inside of it was more than 400,000 square footage. The structure was fenced on each of the four sides, the curb appeal being filled with red roses and green thorns growing on some parts of the solid building. Sasuke couldn't help but consider the irony of the restaurant's name having a synonym to his blond lover's own surname.

Riding alongside his brother in the passenger seat of Itachi's pricey vehicle, Sasuke peered out of the car window, excitement and apprehensive clouding his thoughts. He and the older Uchiha drove outside of the edifice promptly at seven o'clock, the latter of the men maneuvering the car in the section for the valet parking. Once Itachi had handed over his car keys to the attendant, he and Sasuke exited from the automobile with flourish.

Sasuke felt himself smirk proudly as a huddle of people outdoors gazed at him and his brother with awe. The younger of the Uchihas was dressed in a Gucci black suit with a white buttoned shirt and a charcoal colored tie. Itachi was adorned in a less Western style suit, yet the dark gray outfit was just as classy, the clothing crisp in the way it was ironed.

Entering through the revolving doors, Itachi and Sasuke were met with beige walls, light wood décor, and bright lighting coming from stylized fixtures. There were three other couples in front of them; fortunately the siblings didn't have to wait too long as the hostess behind the stand summoned them with a smile.

"Name, please?" she asked genially, her cheeks blushing as her eyes viewed the pair of handsome men.

"Uchiha," Itachi answered. "Party of…" he looked at his brother meaningfully before he finished with, "five. We expect three more to join us; surnames Danna, Iwa, and Uzumaki."

"Our staff will make sure to escort them to your table once they arrive. Right this way, sirs," the hostess said after she wrote down the given information, leading the two through the walkway of a few of the occupied tables. Since it was merely the beginning of the week, there weren't that many customers in the vicinity. Sasuke was glad of this fact.

"Will this suffice?" the young lady questioned, still blushing cutely as she brought them to a stretched booth near the back of the restaurant.

"Yes, this is fine. Thank you," Itachi said as he and Sasuke took a seat on opposite sides.

"Here are your menus," she spoke, handing the two their set of choices. "Your waiter will be with you shortly. Have a good night." With an elegant bow, the hostess then stalked in the direction of her station.

Sasuke and Itachi opened up their menus, their eyes scanning for the dishes they preferred. Their male waiter made his appearance about five minutes afterward, writing down the ravens' wanted drinks. Itachi told the waiter to hold off taking their food orders until after their guests had arrived. The said man granted their wishes, giving the males silverware and condiments as they lounged.

Three minutes before seven thirty, two businessmen, Danna Sasori and Iwa Deidara emerged, another hostess ushering them toward the Uchihas' booth. The duo of mentioned males were dressed appropriately, both of them wearing traditional suits that complimented their irises; Deidara, a long haired, blue eyed blond wore an azure attire and Sasori, a brown eyed redhead wore a dark green attire.

The two Uchihas stood upward as Deidara and Sasori approached them. "Sasori-san, Deidara-san, I'm glad you were able to meet with us this evening," Itachi took the initiative to speak diplomatically. "May I introduce my younger brother, Uchiha Sasuke," he gestured to the mentioned raven with his hand.

Sasuke shook both of the men's hands as Deidara uttered jovially. "It is so nice to meet you, un. I'm Iwa Deidara."

"Danna Sasori, pleasure," the redhead murmured coolly with a nod of his head. Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the other's monotone voice, but decided not to address him on the matter.

The four then sat down on the cushioned seat, their waiter as though on cue, materializing in front of them to see if they were ready to order. Watching his brother search for the Uzumaki with his eyes, Itachi ultimately gave the go ahead, their waiter pocketing his pad after marking down the males' meals. Sasuke felt his heart leap in his throat, his chest tightening in despondency. _What if he doesn't show? Did something happen? Is that bitch of a mother of his keeping him?_

Sasuke disregarded the three other's conversing in the background, his worry for his lover increasing. Only when Itachi's voice called out to him did he decide to pay attention to what was being said.

"Sasuke," Itachi began again, his chin coming to rest on his intertwined hands. "I'm sure you've realized that this dinner isn't just for your birthday."

Sasuke's face unconsciously became blank. Of course, he had had a suspicion, especially considering that his brother had invited mere employees to the restaurant instead of friends. Even so, the younger dark headed man had been so preoccupied with Naruto that he hadn't focused on it. "I figured as much," he eventually muttered.

"Several months ago," the older continued. "Fugaku gave me fifty percent control of our communications and he has allowed me to manage our smaller branches in the city. I have been able to employ as many as a hundred and twenty staff members."

"I see," intoned Sasuke, already guessing where Itachi was trying to disclose. "You want to hire me." The notion of such made Sasuke's dejection change into delight.

Itachi, Deidara, and even Sasori smirked. "As an intern," Sasuke's brother articulated. "You will be on a two year probation period. Deidara-san and Sasori-san will be overseeing your placement. After you receive your business management degree and complete your internship, I can fully hire you. You should be proud, otouto, not many kids your age can have such an opportunity."

"You do too much for me, Itachi," the obsidian eyed male said, even with giddiness overwhelming his body. "I'm sure father _dear _won't approve."

"He has no say in the matter; he hasn't since he legally gave me half control of the company."

"…Still, you're giving me an unjust advantage."

"Perhaps," Itachi consented unconcernedly. "I did have to pull a few strings just to get an open position for you. I wouldn't have done any of this if I hadn't thought you deserved this chance. It's not going to be easy for you though; you're going to have to work harder than any other entry level employee."

Sasuke would've cried and kissed his brother had he been anyone else. "Then I accept the internship," he said, a genuine half smile touching his lips.

"Very good, otouto. Cheers," Itachi said as the group of men raised their glasses of beverages before taking a drink.

The band of males resumed their conversation, Itachi informing his brother that the internship would begin in another month. That was quite fine with Sasuke since he had to give a two week notice to his employer about his resignation. Sasuke was so appreciative with the turn of events that he forgot his trepidation over his lover; he started eating his meal contentedly after the waiter had handed the four their dinner.

With their various discussions modifying into mundane subjects, Sasuke was then shocked into silence as a golden vision appeared in the front of the eatery. Naruto was near the hostess' stand, looking ruffled but gorgeous. The blond teen was wearing a darkened cobalt suit with a creamed top and no tie. His hair was spikier than usual, yet the yellow locks framed his face attractively.

Naruto had a sheepish smile on his face as he was brought to the booth, an envelope and wrapped box in hand. Itachi eyed the younger blond with amusement. _So this is Sasuke's illicit lover, eh? _The older Uchiha mused, understanding his brother's infatuation with the other. Uzumaki Naruto was quite the striking young man.

"Hi," greeted Naruto. "Sorry I'm late. I had to call a cab to get me here."

There was still smidges of apprehension and annoyance inside of Sasuke, but the raven pushed those feelings aside to stand and say, "At least you made it. I like your suit."

"You don't look half bad yourself," the tanned teen joked, his words belying what he thought as he gazed at Sasuke approvingly. "These are for you," he murmured, passing the envelope and box to his lover.

Sasuke and Naruto sat down as the darker of the males said a quick, "Thanks," before replying, "Naruto, this is my brother Uchiha Itachi and his associates. Itachi, Uzumaki Naruto, my…good friend."

"It's good to finally be acquainted with the exclusive Uzumaki Naruto," Itachi responded with a smirk after Naruto was introduced with the two other men at the table.

The bridge of the younger blond's nose flushed pink, but he was quick to counter with, "I'm not exclusive; you just have to say the right words to get to know me." Everyone at the booth—excluding Sasori—laughed at the teen's boldness.

The waiter was called back to their booth five minutes later in order to write down Naruto's meal request before walking himself to the kitchen. What proceeded throughout the dinner was smooth interactions between the five different males. Deidara and Naruto particularly got along rather well, the two blonds giggling together a few times. Itachi, Sasuke, and Sasori would talk amongst each other, the redhead's icy demeanor chipping away little by little.

Towards the conclusion of their dinner, Sasuke opened the envelope and wrapped box, his face softening at the birthday card and candied tomatoes in his grasp. Being discreet, Sasuke grabbed his lover's hand in thanks underneath the table. Naruto smiled in response.

After obtaining the bill, Itachi, Deidara, and Sasori went to the cashier to pay, discounting Naruto's insistence on his fare. The group of men then sauntered out of the building, satisfied.

Deidara gave both Naruto and Sasuke warm hugs as he said. "I enjoyed the dinner. Thanks for having us. Happy Birthday, Sasuke and congrats, un."

Sasori shook both of the younger men's hands. "Congratulations on the internship, Sasuke-san," the red haired male stated unperturbedly.

"What internship?" Naruto whispered to Sasuke as the older males stalked away to recover their vehicles.

"My brother pulled some strings to appoint me for an internship in one of his branches," Sasuke said back softly, his tone of voice outlining his glee. "I'll be starting in a month."

"Really? Wow! That's great!" Naruto proclaimed, embracing the older. "So, no more having to work in that warehouse, right?"

"After my resignation, no," the black haired man assented, wanting to do more than hug his beloved, but knowing doing such would be improper in public.

"I'm so happy for you," the blond said, releasing his hold on Sasuke. "Man, your brother is so cool! They way he's helping you out like this."

Sasuke internally agreed and was about to say more until Itachi come up behind the couple, car keys in his grip. "The car is ready for us, Sasuke," the older man said prior to setting his orbs on Naruto. "Considering you came in a cab, would you like a ride home?"

"If it's not too much trouble," Naruto consented with a grin.

"No trouble at all," Itachi replied, leading the other two to his parked automobile adjacent to the curb.

Climbing into the driver's seat, Itachi peered into the rearview mirror as Sasuke and the blond lowered into the backseat. As he pulled away from the edge of the street, the long haired brunette heard rather than saw the pair of lovers kissing passionately in the rear of him. Sasuke just couldn't keep his hands off the younger. Right as he and Naruto sat down and buckled their seat belts, Sasuke was on him like a predator, plunging his wet tongue into Naruto's mouth as he dropped his gifts on the car floor.

The red eyed man frowned in displeasure at the others' petting, yet didn't say anything for several minutes. It was only when a moan sounded did he elect to express his irritation. "Would you mind not having sex in my car?"

Naruto broke the kiss with a snort. "Sorry, Itachi-san." Sasuke, however, didn't seem sorry at all. The younger raven glared at the back of his brother's head.

"Don't give me that look, Sasuke," Itachi said, his eyes straight forward. "You wouldn't want to lose your internship before you even got it, would you?"

Naruto hid a snicker behind his palm while Sasuke grunted in annoyance. The three rode along for about twenty-five minutes, Naruto giving Itachi verbal directions to his house. Turning into the Uzumaki's neighborhood, the blond said a curse underneath his breath as he saw that the lights were on in his home. That meant his mom was up and waiting for him.

"Is there a problem?" Itachi inquired with a raised eyebrow, the vehicle stopping in front of the pathway.

Sasuke talked over Naruto, his annoyance making itself known. "Naruto hasn't told his mother about us, and he's afraid that she'll catch on to us being together."

"Is that right?" the older of the Uchihas uttered, rotating his head around to stare at Naruto. "Are you afraid that your mother will disclaim you?"

"She won't disclaim me, but I know she won't be happy with me. I'm afraid that…she'll deny what Sasuke and I have with one another, and try to break us apart."

None of the three males spoke for a long while, all lost in their own contemplations. Itachi was the one to shatter the silence as he said. "It's understandable why you wouldn't want to tell your mother, but I think it would be better if you did. It's only a matter of time before she figures it out for herself. Parents are known to get to the bottom of things."

"Don't I know it," Naruto grumbled, unbuckling his seat belt. "It's just going to take some time to get over my fear. I know I'm going to eventually have to tell her."

"I'd advise you to not wait too long. It would only make the situation worse," Itachi directed.

"I won't," the golden teen said. "It was nice to meet you, Itachi-san. Thanks for allowing me to come to dinner on such short notice."

"You're welcome. Enjoy the rest of your night."

Naruto smiled at the older raven before leaning over his seat to place a chaste kiss on Sasuke's lips. Naruto's eyes furrowed when the other male barely responded to his kiss. "Are you mad at me, S'uke?"

Sasuke's appearance was vacant as he mumbled out, "No."

"I will tell my mom about us, I swear. I'll tell her before I go back to school, okay?"

Releasing a breath he didn't even know he had been holding, the youngest Uchiha said plainly. "Okay." He still wasn't happy, but he trusted that Naruto would do what he said he'd do.

"Happy Birthday, Sasuke," said Naruto before exiting from the vehicle and heading to the front door of his house. Itachi watched the blond until he had safely entered his house.

The Uchiha brothers made it to the older's apartment complex less than thirty minutes later. Walking into the entrance hall, Sasuke and Itachi removed their jackets and hung them into the foyer's closet. The two hadn't said much during the drive back; Itachi had had too many thoughts and Sasuke had been petulant. Stepping into the living area, the now twenty year old figured Itachi wasn't going to say anything more. His brother unexpectedly surprised him.

"Quite interesting, your Naruto-kun."

"You like him?"

"Yes," Itachi admitted, removing his tie from his shirt. "He seems like he will be good for you. He's not sophisticated by any means, but he's witty." Even though he was still aggravated, Sasuke felt pride in the other's words. "I also think you were a bit too harsh on him."

Sasuke frowned. "What do you mean I was too harsh on him?"

"Well, you can't expect the boy to open up to his mother without any repercussions. I know you haven't forgotten about your own predicament."

Sasuke glowered at nothing in particular, unwanted memories of his father disowning him surfacing in his mind. "I know, and I do understand his plight. I just want to be with him without facing anymore problems."

"Give him time, Sasuke. That's all you can do," the older recommended, making his way to his bedroom.

Just before Itachi was able to open the door, his younger sibling said. "Hey, Itachi…"

"Yes?"

Sasuke gaped at him with fierce determination. "I'm going to do my very best as an intern; I'm not going to waste such an opportunity. I'll…I'll make you proud."

A rare smile as pure as fresh snow settled on the other's lips. "I know you will. Good night, otouto."

"Good night, aniki," Sasuke whispered after Itachi's bedroom door had closed.

* * *

More than a week subsequent to Sasuke's birthday had Naruto lying on his bed almost asleep. It was past the noon hour, and Naruto was content with just staying underneath his covers for the rest of the day. He would've remained that way too if it hadn't been for Kushina slamming open his door and forcing herself inside his bedroom.

"Why are you still in bed? It's the afternoon, you know," the violet-blue eyed woman said to her lazy son, shaking her head to herself as she viewed the disarray of the blond's space.

"I'm tired," Naruto mumbled, burrowing his body deeper into his warm comforter.

"Well, that's too bad. I need you to get up and clean your room; I'm having some guests over. And I also need for you to start packing for the cabin next week."

"Aww, Ka-chan, why?" the teen whined even as he went into an upright position, his duvet sliding down his bare back.

"'Cause life permits us to do things we sometimes don't like doing, unfortunately," Kushina said wryly. She disappeared from the doorway for a second before coming back to say, "Oh, before I forget, some boy called you yesterday while you were out. I gave him your cell number to call you back."

Naruto bent down to his carpet to grab a discarded T-shirt. "What boy?" he asked somewhat wary.

Kushina was about to answer him when the house phone rang throughout the interior. "That's probably Yuuhi-san calling to tell me when she's coming over," the woman hastily stated before rushing in the direction of the hallway.

The blond put on the said shirt, used to his mother's jumbled mind. Strolling around his room and picking up any of his dirty clothes, Naruto began thinking about the mysterious person who called him the day before. He knew it couldn't have been Sasuke; that would've been a disaster. Besides, the raven man knew better than to contact Naruto's mother. None of his other male friends had ever called his house phone unless it was urgent. _Then who could it have been_…_?_

As though the device had been beckoned, Naruto's cell vibrated twenty minutes afterward, the noise causing the whisker marked boy to balk as he straightened his bed. Walking to his drawer where the mobile was situated, Naruto clutched the phone and pressed the button to answer. The caller's number was blocked, but the blond figured it was one of his other friends since Sasuke's lunch break had been over for a time. He was about to respond to the unknown person when the line on the other end clicked off.

Naruto stared at his phone with a strange expression. "Weird," he muttered to himself.

Returning to his task of cleaning his room, Naruto sauntered to his closet, taking out his minuscule vacuum. With his carpet now clear of clutter, the Uzumaki plugged in the cord and then switched on the cleaner. Naruto was unaware that his cell phone had vibrated a couple more times as he vacuumed. Deeming his floor tidy a number of minutes later, the teen turned off the vacuum.

Hearing female voices echoing through his bedroom wall, Naruto was glad to note that his area was neatened. He unplugged the vacuum to place it back in his closet prior to delving inside to take out his rolling luggage. Right as he was folding some of his garments to put in the case, his cell phone vibrated again, the sound somehow becoming sinister.

"Hello?" Naruto answered quickly, hoping the caller was one of his friends. The person on the other side didn't reply, but the blond knew they were still there. "If this is someone playing a prank on me, I'm better at it than you." Heavy breathing followed his statement. "Okay, now you're just starting to piss me off. I'm going to hang the phone up. Have a nice day."

"Naruto-kun, it's me," a recognizable male voice said.

Instead of being threatened by the other person, Naruto was angered, an uncharacteristic scowl on his features. "You have some nerve calling me, asshole. How'd you get this number, anyway?"

"I've been trying to reach you for weeks. No one had been answering your home phone until yesterday. This woman Kushina-san—your mother, I presume—finally gave me your cell phone number."

Naruto could feel his anger mounting. He knew the fucker was lying about his mother not answering the phone beforehand. This was the final time he was going to give some freak his home number. "Yeah, well, I don't care. You and I have nothing left to say to each other. Bye!"

"Don't you hang up—!" the other was cut off as Naruto disconnected the ongoing call.

He then set the mobile back on his drawer. Not even a minute later, his phone vibrated once more, the same blocked number flashing on his cell's screen. Naruto, accordingly, turned off his cellular device. The blond retreated back to his luggage, continuing with his packing. He vaguely listened as the house phone rang again, his mother and her friends' laughing voices in the locale.

"Naruto!" Kushina hollered from the living area. "Can you come here, please?"

Treading out of his room, the young man passed through the halls to head toward the living room. He waved nonchalantly at his mother's friends in the kitchen before coming to stand in front of his redheaded parent. Kushina had the cordless phone in her grasp, looking at her son with a welcoming grin on her face.

"The phone's for you. It's some boy named Sai," she told him, giving him the handset.

Naruto wanted to protest, but knew that it wouldn't do much good. Sai would most likely keep calling him until he answered. He waited for his mother to stalk back to her posse before hissing into the receiver, "What the hell do you want, psycho?"

"Now, is that any way to talk to me after you hung up on me so rudely the first time?" asked Sai, his voice dipped with venom sweetness.

"Cut the bullshit, Sai," Naruto snapped, making sure to have his tone lowered. "I want to know what you want from me. Do you want to fuck, is that it? If that's the case, I'm going to have to decline. I'm through with you."

"I'm not through with you!" the older teen yelled from the other side previous to reducing his tone to a fake sincerity. "I apologize for snapping at you, but I need you to hear me out. It took me a long time to get over my anger with you. I need to tell you something; so if you hang up on me again, I'll just keep calling."

Peeking at his mother in the corner of his eye to find that she was distracted, Naruto said. "I know you would've kept calling; that's the only reason I'm putting up with you. Just say what you need to say, and then leave me alone."

"That's the thing, Naruto-kun—I don't know if I can leave you alone. You're all I think about, truly. I know I have a hard time with emotions, but I'm being honest when I say that I think I'm in love with you."

Naruto's mouth hung open while the drums in his ears pounded ruthlessly. "You don't know what you're saying. You don't love me. You can't. The concept is completely foreign to you."

"But you're the only one who makes me feel, the only one who makes me smile in truth. If the tightening in my chest from picturing you isn't love, then what is it?"

Naruto could sense a twinge of pity and guilt inhabit in his chest. He was actually starting to feel bad for the weirdo. "…I don't know, Sai, but whatever you're feeling needs to stop now. I-I don't like you…like that."

"Maybe you can learn to 'like' me like that, maybe if you allow me to make you feel good—"

"Nope, not happening. You tried to attack me, remember?"

"You made me do it," Sai's voice muttered menacingly.

"I didn't make you do anything. You're the one who decided to jump me like an animal."

The Shimaru teen was quiet for numerous beats. When his voice did come back, he was whispering with barely suppressed rage, "There's somebody else, isn't there?"

Naruto almost choked on his spit; he conceded that it would be a bad idea for him to mention his Uchiha lover. Attempting to pacify the crazed boy, Naruto started, "Whether there is or there isn't, isn't the issue—"

The blond was interrupted as Sai chuckled sardonically, the sound frightening the former. "Of course it's an issue. I should've known. Some home wrecker is coming in between us, and has been from the very beginning."

"No, that's—"

"You don't have to worry anymore, Naruto-kun. I'll see you soon."

Naruto was met with the dial tone ringing in his ear. Putting the phone back in its cradle, the blue eyed male lethargically walked back to his bedroom. Taking a seat on the foot of his bed, Naruto glanced at his half packed luggage pensively, wondering what he should do to assuage the situation. He couldn't call Sai back since the older male had blocked his number. He knew he ought to tell someone about Sai's fixation on him, but whom?

He automatically thought of his mother, but that idea was shoved to the back of his mind. If Naruto was to tell Kushina about Sai, the freedom he had been valuing for weeks would be stripped to nothing. The teen then thought of his friends, specifically Sasuke. Yes, he could tell Sasuke what was going on; he would just have to leave out the details about his and the Shimaru's intimacy.

Once again, the notion was pushed aside. Naruto knew how possessive Sasuke could be over him. The last thing the blond wanted to do was enrage one of the most important people in his life. He had had enough with disappointing his loved ones. Naruto ruffled his hair in agitation as he continued to ponder.

_Shit, what have I gotten myself into?_

* * *

**This chapter was so hard to write, and I was actually sick while writing it, but I felt you readers had waited long enough. Thak goodness I feel better now!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, its characters and/or ideas. All rights belong to Masashi Kishimoto.

**A/N(1): **This chapter has been edited due to explicit sexual content. To read full version, go to the the live journal profile page: ireallydonthate (the web address is on my FF profile page).

**A/N(2): **Sorry for the delay, readers. I was supposed to have this chapter out a few weeks ago, but life got in the way. So, enjoy the fic's next installment.

* * *

**Enchaining**

**en·chain: 1.** To bind (with chains). **2.** To hold fast or captivate (the attention of, etc).** 3.** To yoke; (keep someone close).

* * *

**5.**

**Summer—August**

"You have everything?" Kushina asked as she poked her head out of the car window to peer towards her son in the back.

"Yeah," replied Naruto from behind the vehicle, shutting the trunk closed after placing their traveling luggage inside its interior.

The morning's warmth exuded from the sun pleasantly, the temperature being somewhat refreshing for once. Naruto enjoyed the summer air, making his way to the other side of the vehicle with a half smile. Opening the passenger side door to descend into the car's seat, the blond buckled his seat belt, unexpectedly looking forward to spending time in their rented cabin. Once his mother had put the motor into drive, Naruto's mind began to wander, thinking back on the enlightening phone call he had had with Sakura the previous week…

**Flashback**

Naruto had been receiving numerous messages and calls from Sai ever since the two of them had conversed. The unpredictable Shimaru teen had begun forwarding disturbing texts, some of them being downright eerie; and if Naruto didn't respond to them, the other would call either the tanned male's mobile or house phone. Feeling that the entire circumstance was in over his head, Naruto decided to seek advice from his female friend.

"Are you serious?" the pink haired teen practically screeched after she and Naruto had been on the phone with each other for twenty minutes. "Sai really said that?"

"Yeah, he did," the blond confirmed, referring to his prior conversation with the mentioned boy. "He then started talking about how he's in love with me, and that I'm the only person who makes him feel. It was the freakiest thing ever."

"Holy shit; that's crazy. He's crazy."

"I know. And now he won't stop calling me."

Naruto figured Sakura would respond by shrieking at him again. He was rather surprised when the girl kept silent for a matter of seconds before saying with a somber tone, "Naruto, you can't continue for this to go on; this sounds serious. Have you told your mom anything?"

"No, I didn't want her worrying about me." _Among other things, _he added internally, picturing his raven haired lover. "I know I should've told her right away, but I just didn't want to have to explain everything to her."

"You need to at least tell Kushina-san about what is going on," the teen girl advised with a scolding tone. "This situation with Sai can escalate into something you won't be able to handle by yourself."

"Yeah. You're right."

"Of course I'm right," Sakura stated seemingly smug before her voice became serious once more. "What else did Sai say to you?"

"He basically implied that it was my fault he was acting this way."

"He can't blame you for that. Sai knew what he was getting into with you."

Scratching at his right arm distractedly, Naruto then leaned his body backward to lie down on his bed, where he had been sitting beforehand. His sapphire orbs gazed upward to his ceiling, his reflections spiraling into turmoil as he held the handset against his ear. Why did things have to become this difficult? He had made it known to Sai that what the two of them did together wouldn't equal anything romantic, so why couldn't the boy just let him be?

"I shouldn't have gotten involved with him in the first place," Naruto murmured after a long pause. "Part of this _is _my fault, Sakura-chan."

Sakura didn't know how to reply to that; all she could say was, "It'll be okay, Naruto."

"I hope so."

"And if you ever need me, I would have no problem punching that freak in his face."

The golden teen laughed, the rosette's words causing him to feel better. "I'm going to hold you to that."

"Kami-sama, I'm glad neither one of us slept with him," Sakura said, releasing a giggle of her own.

_Me too, _Naruto initially voiced until he considered that messing with the raven teen had been bad enough. "Way to make me feel better, Sakura-chan," he said with sarcasm. "I still know what he looks like naked." Sakura exhaled through the phone, her pitch a mixture of concern, pity, and amusement.

**Flashback End**

"We're here," Naruto's mother's voice crept into his reverie.

Naruto opened his eyes wide, belatedly realizing that he had fallen asleep during their two hour journey. Stretching the kinks out of his back and leg muscles, the blue eyed male then exited from the parked automobile, his feet hitting the soiled part of the driveway. Their surroundings were assortments of green colors, the majority being a forest and emerald shade. There were a total of six log cabins in the area, the houses built a half an acre away from each other. Behind the cabins, about a quarter of a mile further, a glistening lake was bordered on spruce land with various trees scattered.

Helping his mother unpack the trunk, Naruto then followed her through the dirt path, the trail leading to the front door of their chosen cabin. Kushina delved in her pockets to take out the key that had been mailed to her from the landlord a few days before. The red haired woman opened the barrier easily, she and her son stepping into the square designed structure.

The inside of the log cabin consisted of a lounging room, three spare rooms, a kitchenette, and a single bathroom. The furniture was furnished and washed, and the walls were made of hewn-based tree trunks. Naruto stared at the indoor setting for a brief moment previous to heading in the direction of the rooms, his rolling luggage's wheels spinning soundly on the hardwood floors.

He entered inside the first room as he heard Kushina find her own room, the extent of the space being his favorite since it had the best view of the lake. Placing his luggage beside the bed in the middle of the room, Naruto afterward sat down on its covers, his body hunching involuntarily. The blond began to contemplate about how his whole attitude had changed toward his and his mother's annual trip—his mood shifting from discontented to uplifted.

It had all started after he had ended his phone exchange with Sakura. On that very day, Naruto had finally told Kushina about his dilemma with Sai. As expected, his mother hadn't been too happy to hear about her son's quandary, but she had dealt with the problem. The next time Sai had called his cell, the Uzumaki woman had answered the device. She had then calmly told the other teen to stop harassing her son, for she had no qualms about changing their phone numbers or filing a report. Kushina had hung up the line soon after, and Sai hadn't texted or called him since then.

Naturally, Naruto had been relieved, yet that didn't mean the boy didn't have his doubts. It was obvious that Sai was becoming obsessed with him, and Naruto knew that in due time his mother's threats wouldn't keep the other deterred for long. What was more perturbing was that Sai wasn't the only person he had to worry about. The golden teen's thoughts would often drift toward Sasuke and their situation.

There had been many opportunities for the teen to reveal his and the Uchiha's relationship to his mother, but Naruto wanted to tell Kushina in a more calming setting, away from their house. Staying at the cabin was the perfect ideal; and maybe if Ino _did _come and visit them, he could sit down and talk to her as well. Once it came time for the blond to chat with his family, Naruto could prepare himself for the worst case scenario—his love for Sasuke being rejected.

"Naruto!" Kushina bellowed from a slight distance. "Our landlord left us some rations in the cupboard. Do you want me to make us some lunch?"

"Okay," the boy consented, his tone matching his mother's as he attempted to rid himself of his sober thoughts. "Thank you!"

An hour later, the whisker marked male sauntered into the kitchenette, the sound of running water reaching his hearing. His mother had her back turned to him as the younger of the duo came to stand in the rear of the wooded island. From what Naruto could tell, Kushina was rinsing some vegetables from a strainer, the noise of sizzling coming from the pan of cooked meat on the stove to the left of her.

"Need any help?" offered Naruto after standing behind the island for a couple of minutes.

"If you wouldn't mind cutting up these onions for me, I'd appreciate it. Thanks, hon," the older of the two said, pointing to the said plant on the counter over without looking at the other. "When are your friends visiting again?"

"Sakura-chan and Tenten-chan said they'll be here by this weekend," Naruto responded absently as he walked forward to do what his mom had asked.

"Alright," intoned the Uzumaki woman. "It'll be good to have those two around; they're nice girls."

Cutting the onions into slices almost inelegantly, Naruto said in a teasing fashion. "I find it funny that you're willing to have females around me, but when I want to stay at a male friend's house, you flip out."

Before, Kushina would've been affronted with her son's remark; but in that present moment, she smiled. "I'm pretty backwards, eh?"

"Yup," the younger muttered, popping his mouth with the 'p' sound.

"I just want us to get along, and I want to be more understanding with you."

"I know, Ka-chan."

Setting aside the utensils she had in hand, Kushina nearly startled Naruto as she moved next to him to ruffle his hair and place a kiss on his temple. "I know you may not believe me, but I've been enjoying our time together this summer."

Pushing the guilt and sadness rising in his gut, Naruto gave a half smile. "It sure does beat last summer," he agreed dismally.

Kushina nodded her head in concord, giving the teen a tender embrace before focusing back on her task of cooking. Naruto, thus, went back to cutting the onions, the pungent aroma permeating from the said vegetable making the male's eyes sting. After a couple of minutes, the violet-blue eyed woman noticed the contemplative look on her son's face, and she felt her maternal instinct wanting to take over.

"Hey, what's the matter?" she questioned, concerned. "You seem like you have something on your mind."

Naruto remained quiet for a few intervals prior to a wide grin overwhelming his features. "I'm fine, don't worry."

"You sure nothing's bothering you? Is that Sai boy still—?"

The blond shook his yellow mane. "No, everything's okay." _And hopefully things will stay that way once I tell you about Sasuke, _Naruto inwardly spoke, skimming the now sliced onions to the side of the counter.

* * *

The following weekend started with Naruto arising from the bed in his appointed room, his blond hair tangled in an untidy manner. The sun's brightness seeping into his space all but blinded him as he stumbled on his feet to find attire to wear. Deciding on a white shirt folded conveniently inside of the wooden drawer near the edge of the bed, Naruto then put on a pair of gray shorts that he had found on the floor, pocketing his cell phone as he exited the room.

He sauntered through the hallway and into the lounging room, making his way to the cabin's front door. There was a pair of running shoes on the welcome rug that Naruto had been using for his morning jogs. Slipping the shoes on and tying the laces, the mentioned teen opened the door as quietly as he could, figuring his mom was still asleep since he hadn't heard nor seen her.

Naruto was swift in leaving the cabin's area, his tone legs tensing as he began to sprint forward. He followed a soiled pathway, the route stretching three miles in a full circle around the region. The cerulean eyed boy inhaled and exhaled heavily, running faster and faster as the seconds ticked into minutes. By the time he was a half a mile away from his and his mother's cabin, he was drenching in sweat.

He slowed his jogging when he was about a third of a mile from the neighboring cabins. As he paced his tiring body, the teen's phone vibrated, an incoming call flashing on his screen. He grabbed the device, his countenance lighting up as a recognizable number appeared. The clock on his phone read a little after nine.

"Hi, Sasuke," he answered, panting slightly.

"Hn, morning. Why are you breathing like that?"

"Just out on my morning jog. I'm surprised you called me this early."

The Uchiha deadpanned on the other line. "It's my brother's fault; he woke me up."

"Oh c'mon, your brother isn't that bad," laughed Naruto, bending his knees to catch his breath as he held the phone. "So, what's up?"

"I wanted to see you today."

Naruto felt a happy smile pull his lips as his heart pounded. "You do?"

"Hn," Sasuke grunted again. "I'll be starting school and my internship after the next week. I'll be busy, and won't be able to see you any other time."

Naruto's smile lessened as a thought occurred to him. "Well, my friends are supposed to come and visit me at the cabin. I'm not sure how we could see each other."

"How long are these…friends going to stay with you?" the older asked, a jealous tinge coating his voice.

Straightening his body upward, Naruto took his time replying to his dark haired lover. He glanced around his surroundings, the trees of the woodlands aligning in a crisscross procession. Waving back at an older couple stalking a few feet away, the tanned male responded to the other's question.

"Just a couple of days, so you can relax. My mom is still wary about some of things."

"When will you be back home?"

"Our deposit lasts until next week."

Sasuke went silent on the other end, his breathing sounding aggravated. Eventually, he said in a tight voice. "Can we meet somewhere tonight?"

Starting back on an eased jog, Naruto said in hesitation, "The cabins are miles away from civilization, and it's a two hour drive from the city. You sure you're up for driving that far?"

"You sound as though you don't want to see me." There was hurt underlining the older's voice, but Sasuke did a good job with covering the tone with anger.

"No, no, it's not that," the blond denied, reducing his jogging as he came closer to the rented cabin. "I'm just thinking about you, that's all. I know it's a long drive, but I _do _want to see you too. If I was able to, I'd see you every day."

Sasuke must've been pleased with the other's answer because he reiterated his inquiry. "So, can we meet tonight?"

"Yeah okay, tonight between early tomorrow morning, when everyone's asleep. Sound good?"

"Hn," the brunette agreed. "I'll look forward to seeing you."

"Me too," said Naruto with a sultry smile. "I want to suck you off so badly."

"How badly?" Sasuke's voice had dropped in pitch, his voice husky as he breathed in deeply.

"I want to suck you until you're bone dry, with your ball tensing and your toes curling. I want to suck you until you've lost your mind completely." Sasuke's voice then hitched as Naruto continued to talk dirty to him, the younger's lower region tightening in anticipation. He came across his cabin minutes later, his eyebrows furrowing when his mother stepped out of the front door to greet him. "Hey, Sasuke," he suddenly spoke in a quiet tone so that Kushina wouldn't hear him. "I have to go. I'll talk to you later. Oh, and before I forget, this is the last time we have to do this sneaking around stuff. I'll tell my mom about us no later than tomorrow."

"Good," Sasuke said, a smirk in his voice. "I'll call you when I'm on my way out there." Naruto then hung up his cell hastily after he had told his lover that he would text the directions to the cabin later. Shoving his mobile back into his shorts' pocket, he gave Kushina a smile as he ambled towards her.

"Hey, you," she said cheerfully, clutching the green robe she had on. "I figured you were on your morning run. How was it?"

"It felt great," the Uzumaki teen responded.

"Who were you on the phone with?" the woman asked after awhile, following her son inside the cabin.

Naruto chuckled, a nervous quality to his laugh. "Kiba," he feigned. "He called to bug me; said he was bored." Kushina chuckled a bit herself, still unaware of the boy's dishonesty with her.

Tenten and Sakura arrived at the cabin thirty minutes after the noon hour, their suitcases trailing behind them on wheels as the two girls hailed the Uzumakis with a hug. Tenten's father, whom had driven the females, gave a single honk on his horn before he maneuvered his truck back onto the dirt road. The brown haired Tenten and Kushina waved at the man prior to the four occupants walking into the log cabin.

The pair of girls were escorted by Naruto to the room across from his; the blond's mother understandably was uncomfortable with her male child sharing a room with females. Sakura and Tenten then unpacked their clothes and other belongings around the scarcely decorated space. Naruto waited for the two to finish in the kitchen, three glasses of sodas on the top of the island for them.

Once Tenten and Sakura had walked into the kitchenette, the three teens sat around the island's counter, laughing and exchanging various summer stories. The trio talked with one another for more than an hour, too engrossed in their conversations. It wasn't until Kushina had mentioned cooking lunch did the teens snap their mouths, at least for the time being.

"You guys want to do anything before lunch?" questioned Naruto. "It's going to take my mom awhile."

The girls looked at one another before saying in unison, "Let's go swimming!"

And with that said, the three of them left the kitchen area and entered inside of their separate rooms to change into swim gear. Naruto dressed into a pair of orange trunks (surprise, surprise) and a wife beater for when he would walk to the lake. The girls put on two-piece bathing suits; Sakura wore a jade one and Tenten wore a red velvet one.

Naruto flirted with his friends playfully as they exited the log structure; their flip flops making footprints in the path that led to the water. The females teased back, laying their towels on the grassy land.

"Aw, man," Sakura whined, lifting her sunglasses from her face as she gazed around the locality. "There are no cute guys here!"

Naruto and Tenten chortled loudly, the blond shaking his head in disbelief. "You're ridiculous, Sakura-chan!"

"I'm serious," the pink headed teen insisted, placing both hands on her hips. "Everybody around here is either too young or too old." The statement the girl had given was actually factual; there were many families in the region, either swimming in the lake or sprawling on the lush plain. Still, the way Sakura had spoken was nothing short of hilarious.

"I don't know about you two," Tenten stated, taking off the short jeans she had been wearing. "But I'm hot as hell. See you in the water!" And with that, the brunette took off as though she were a bullet, running into the lake with a splash.

Sakura and Naruto followed suit, dashing into the wetness with huge smiles on their faces. For the next forty-five minutes or so, the teens swam, played, and relaxed in the water. The lake felt cool on their exposed inches of skin, and the trio were enjoying the amount of freedom they had for the afternoon. The three friends finally decided to leave the lake after their stomachs rumbled their hunger.

The group of teenagers headed in the direction of the cabin a half hour before three, Naruto having a bounce in his step as he gave Sakura a piggyback ride. The smell of miso ramen, beef, corn, and cabbage saturated the air as the trio came into the kitchen. Without taking off their damp attire, Naruto, Tenten, and Sakura took a seat and ate the available food in delight.

Kushina joined them once she had washed her hands, laughing along with the young people as the noise level increased. The four had lunch together peacefully, as though everything was right in the world. The calm mood gave Naruto just the right quantity of courage to inform his mom about his and Sasuke's coupling. _Just one more day, _he thought in good spirits. _One more day, and I'll be ready to tell you, Ka-chan_…

After lunch, the teens walked back to their rooms, having to wait one at a time to use the bathroom. As the sun lowered in the horizon, Naruto and the girls departed from the cabin once again to locate a clear field where they could participate in a round of soccer. The blond had the ball tucked underneath his arm as the three ambled onward, their choices of clothing casual.

"This looks like a good spot," Naruto commented, finding a trimmed turf of grass. He placed the ball in front of his feet as the girls walked further to create distance.

When Sakura and Tenten were far enough away, the blue eyed male kicked the sphere expertly, the ball flying with speed. The darker haired female was able to stop its momentum with her legs, afterwards punting the ball forward with her right foot while Sakura tried to steal it from her.

With half her concentration on the ball, Sakura asked curiously. "So, what's going on with the whole 'Sai thing'? You told your mom, right?" Tenten listened into the starting discussion, wanting to know about how Naruto had handled the condition as well.

"Yeah, I told her," the golden boy verified, blocking Tenten's attempt to run passed him. "She wasn't too happy about it, obviously, but she spoke to him on my phone."

"Cool. What did she say?" asked Tenten, her breath puffing out in a fast tempo.

"She told him to stop calling me, otherwise she would change our numbers and file a report to the police."

"That's good," Sakura panted, inwardly wishing she were as athletic as her two other companions.

"Yeah, I'm glad you told her about it," the brown headed girl concurred, side-stepping Naruto and sprinting passed him to make a goal.

"Damn, you've gotten fast, Tenten-chan," the blond acknowledged before bring his attention to the previous dialogue. "I'm glad too. Ka-chan's been better with me. She's a lot more lenient with me than she had been last year, that's for sure. I thought she would've been more upset once I told her about Sai."

"And Sai hasn't been bothering you since then…?" Sakura asked, ignoring Naruto's and Tenten's movements as she chose to watch them from the sidelines.

"No," Naruto said in a gasp, kicking the ball away from Tenten's feet. Running in the opposite path, the blond teen made a goal of his own as he then halted near the perimeter of the forest. "But I'm still a bit cautious. Who really knows how he'll act in the upcoming weeks."

"That's true," the rosette said. "Anything could happen between now and when we got back to school. Just be careful when dealing with that weirdo."

"You don't have to tell me twice," Naruto snorted, he and Tenten fighting over the soccer ball as their motions drove them to a more dirt filled terrain.

The remainder of the afternoon had the teens out in the opened field; Tenten and Naruto resumed their one on one match while Sakura cheered from afar. The game ended up coming close, with Naruto winning by two goals. The group of friends didn't leave the grassland until the sun had gone down and the sky was streaked with purples and blues.

The evening darkness hence was enveloping the outside wilderness as four inhabitants sat together in a log cabin for dinner. The circular table in the kitchenette was filled with steamed vegetables, jobe beef, and curry rice. The aroma from the food smelled delicious, and Naruto, Sakura, and Tenten were quick in thanking the Uzumaki woman for preparing their meals so deftly.

The various conversations among the set of individuals had a comforting quality; and before the teens knew it, the time had reached the ten o'clock mark. None of the youths were keen on falling asleep just then, therefore the three stayed up for another two hours, goofing off and conversing with each other in the lounging room.

* * *

Naruto's eyelids blinked rapidly as his sapphire orbs adjusted to the black obscurity of the room. Rolling over to his side on the bed, the blond reached his hand out and grasped his cell phone which was situated on the surface of the drawer. He checked the time on his monitor, the digital clock read one twelve in the morning. Naruto felt himself frown as he saw that he hadn't gotten a call or text from his lover yet.

Rising into an upright position, Naruto planted his feet to the floor, his elbows resting on his thighs. He sat there brooding for more than ten minutes when his cell vibrated noisily, a lone message appearing on the display. A lopsided grin touched his lips as he scanned the text; his black headed boyfriend was on his way to meet him, merely twenty miles away.

The tanned male stood upward to walk forward, discounting his opened luggage with a carrier bag within. Naruto only intended to spend a few hours—give or take—with the older Uchiha; he didn't expect to stay overnight (or morning) at a hotel like he and Sasuke usually did.

Putting on his red Converse, he then crept passed the three rooms and hallway, tiptoeing as he made the trek to the front door. A gust of wind blew harshly on his face as he tread outdoors, surprising the blond with its lukewarm temperature. Naruto made sure to close the barrier as soundlessly as he could; he didn't want to chance waking up any of the women in the cabin.

Naruto's tennis shoes crunched the soiled ground, his saunter defined. He ceased his walking seven feet ahead, standing at the edge of the pathway. He could hear the crickets chirp as the night breeze made his yellow locks move in a gliding wave. Fidgeting in half excitement and half anxiety, Naruto became overjoyed once he saw headlights heading in his direction.

Sasuke's sleek automobile parked right across from the trail's border. Naruto dashed toward the other, his fast pace causing some of the dirt to ascend in the air. The raven haired man departed from the driver's side with a smirk, embracing his beloved as soon as Naruto had wrapped his arms around his shoulders.

The two males kissed without the simple press of lips, their tongues already seeking out the other's. Naruto shut his eyes with a moan, bringing his body closer to Sasuke's as the said raven tilted his head for more access. The smacking of mouths was loud in the otherwise still area, and it made Sasuke all the more lustful for the blond. Naruto broke the kiss when the absence of air became recognizable, leaning his forehead on the Uchiha's with a smile.

"Hey, teme," the younger male whispered, kissing the contour of Sasuke's mouth.

"Dope," Sasuke retorted affectionately.

"I'm glad you here," spoke Naruto. "Was the drive okay for you?"

"It was tiring, but you're worth it."

"You flatter me."

"Hn. Where to?"

Looking back over his shoulder to view the distance, Naruto intertwined his and Sasuke's fingers as he said, "Why don't we take a walk? I want to show you the lake."

Naruto led Sasuke back on the path, guiding the older to the grassy plain flanking the shining water. The crescent moon was reflected in the lake, the scene captured beautifully as the couple stared outward. Naruto squeezed the brunette's hand reassuringly, his body taut as the telltale signs of glee overpowered his whole being.

"This is a great view, isn't it?" the teen inquired, more to himself than the man standing beside him.

Sasuke didn't answer him regardless; the raven instead raised his right hand to cup Naruto's cheek. The blond momentarily shut his eyes with the sensation, nuzzling the palm with his face before giving the calloused skin a chaste kiss. Neither male wasted any time kissing again, the moon's brightness illuminating their forms in a shining gleam.

The young lovers made out with one another for what felt like hours prior to Naruto removing his lips to playfully nip at the skin behind Sasuke's right ear. As he felt the blond touch him, Sasuke curiously slithered his hand underneath Naruto's shirt. His pale hand explored the warmth of Naruto's torso as the said teen's licks and kisses traveled to his collarbone.

Sasuke released a gratified moan as the other's tongue lapped a warm trail across his clavicle. When the pleasure increased for the raven, Sasuke growled in arousal, gripping Naruto's golden tresses to bring his head up for another mind-blowing kiss. Naruto chuckled with the lip lock, his kisses almost clumsy in his enthusiasm. The younger of the duo ultimately pulled away to whisper in Sasuke's ear.

"I promised I would suck you dry, remember?" he questioned, clutching Sasuke's clad organ to prove his point.

Without waiting for a response, Naruto dropped to his knees in front of Sasuke's pants, being glad that no one else was around to witness their intimacy. The blond hastily made work of the dark haired male's button and zipper on his slacks, rolling the hem downward to expose Sasuke's boxers. Looking upward at his mesmerized lover, Naruto leaned forward.

Sasuke's eyes initially widened before slipping shut, his head slanting as he moaned into the summer air. His breath hitched, the blissful feelings overriding him. He and the blond didn't do this often, but when they did, it was the greatest feeling ever!

When the suction intensified to a level of noisiness, the Uchiha released a last moan. Placing his hands on his thighs, Naruto then stood upward from his bowed position, embracing his lover whom was still in the phase of aftershocks. Sasuke closed his eyes for a brief second previous to giving his lover a kiss in thanks on the lips.

"How was that?" Naruto slyly asked, watching the other fasten his button and zipper on his slacks.

"You never cease to surprise me, Naruto," Sasuke said genuinely before a wicked leer appeared on his face. "Especially considering your parallel skills."

Naruto gave an overconfident expression, his head tilting to the side familiarly. "Does that mean I satisfied you?"

Sasuke shook his head with a cocky smile, refusing to answer Naruto's question. The Uchiha then tried to coax his lover to stay put, intending to return the favor as he messed with Naruto's jeans. The blond shook his head with a smile, telling Sasuke that he could pay him back some other time. Naruto was content enough with just pleasing the other for a time.

"Do you have another location in mind?" Sasuke inquired.

The blond's face morphed into a smirk as well, the two males walking towards Sasuke's car as Naruto voiced a 'don't know, but let's find out'. With no firm place in mind, the pair of lovers just wandered around, the closest convenience store being approximately twenty miles away from the cabin region.

Naruto and Sasuke at length of their travels discovered a verdant hilltop near the opening of the next town over. They lied back on the hood of Sasuke's vehicle, their eyes gazing upward to the flickering stars. They ended up talking, the voices echoing lightly in the surrounding district. It was a relaxed bearing, and it gave Naruto the conclusion that Sasuke was one of the people in his life he were most comfortable with, as though he had no other pressures but to be himself. That thought alone made Naruto all the more in love with him.

"Did you want me to be there when you tell your mom about us?" said the dark haired teen after he and Naruto's conversation had roamed to the blond's mother.

Naruto seemed to ponder the query before he uttered with a subdued tone. "It would probably be easier for me to tell her if you were there, but it might be better for all of us if you weren't." Hauling his body in order to sit with crossed legs, Naruto finished with, "Things could become heated though."

"Then I'll stick around the area."

Naruto's head snapped downward to his lover in disbelief. "You don't have to do that."

Sasuke sat up himself, staring at the blond with a serious gleam. "I want you to tell your mom so that we don't have to see each other with restrictions," he stated. "I don't want you to keep me a secret anymore, from your family or your friends. I'll be close by either way, whether Kushina accepts us or not. I don't want to have to see you only for a few hours today."

Naruto's countenance looked stunned, his eyebrows rose. "Wow," he said in mock amazement. "I think that's the most you've said in one breath."

The Uchiha frowned in irritation, ready to retaliate when the tanned male hugged him, gratitude circulating in his hold. Sasuke slowly lost his annoyed appearance and returned the hug. An hour afterwards, the couple left the other town and headed back to the woodlands. Sasuke and Naruto stopped at a coffee shop on the way, talking a seat on the cement as they sipped their ordered drinks.

It was beginning to light outside as Sasuke pulled into the dirt filled driveway of the rented cabin. Naruto exited from the passenger seat quickly, surprised when his lover did the same. Ambling towards Naruto, Sasuke somehow trapped the boy between the vehicle and his body, a half smile emerging on his lips as he eyed the younger.

"I want to give you a good luck kiss," Sasuke said softly, explaining his actions. Naruto complied with a nod, tipping forward to place his lips on Sasuke's. The males were so involved in their kissing that they didn't hear the front door open or the sound of footsteps coming in their direction. Only when a female voice reached them did they freeze their activity.

"N-Naruto, is that you…?"

* * *

**Yeah, I know, the dreaded cliffhanger.**

**To make up for it, here's some i****nteresting Facts relating to Chapter 5.**

******1. This chapter was initially going to be longer, but I cut it in half. The rest of the words will be for the next chapter.**

******2. I listened to mostly 80's music while writing this chapter, why? I couldn't tell you, but it kept me motivated!**

******3. I didn't really have any drafts; I just kept going back and forth with some of the more intimate scenes.**

******Until next time!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto, its characters and/or ideas. All rights belong to Masashi Kishimoto.

* * *

**Enchaining**

**en·chain: 1.** To bind (with chains). **2.** To hold fast or captivate (the attention of, etc).** 3.** To yoke; (keep someone close).

* * *

**6.**

**Summer—August, September**

The sound of tires stopping in the distance was what woke up Sakura as the early morning light peeked in through the clear window of her appointed bedroom. Slanting her body to the side in the bed, the rosette was surprised to note that the digital numbers on her cellular phone atop the drawer read a little after six. With curiosity getting the better of her, Sakura then removed herself from the heavy comforter of the bed and decided to investigate the noise coming from the outside. She made sure to quietly walk pass her sleeping roommate as she exited the extent.

Her light footfalls resonated on the hardwood floors as she made her way to the lounging room, the beam of headlights shutting off from the other side of the cabin's inner walls. Sakura gave a confused frown, wondering what was transpiring outdoors. Slipping on a pair of house shoes parallel to the front door, the teenage female afterwards opened the barrier, stepping out of the log structure. A particular sucking noise caught her attention as she saw what appeared to be two figures standing beside a vehicle several feet ahead.

A shock of blond hair came into her sights as she strode closer, an unrecognizable dark haired person blocking the full view of the aforementioned figure. Sakura wasn't completely sure what the two had been doing**—**_hugging each other, perhaps?_**—**but she could count on the fact that the action hadn't been meant to be witnessed by a third party.

Reflexively, her jade orbs traveled downward towards the dirt path, seeing pairs of Converse and formal shoes. Her confused expression morphed into slight revelation as she called out uncertainly, "N-Naruto, is that you…?" The address of his name caused the said male to initially freeze his body prior to pulling away from the unrevealed individual to stare at Sakura with widened, alarmed eyes. "What are you do**—**?"

She trailed off as the other person, whom had no such trepidation about getting caught, rotated around to glare at the pink headed female with a midnight gaze. A red blush rose in Sakura's cheeks as she was presented with one of the most gorgeous men she had ever laid eyes upon. _Oh, Kami-sama, _she couldn't help but think as she peered back at the pale Adonis.

"Oh, hello there," she welcomed the raven in a rehearsed, seductive voice, keeping her eyes on him as she took another step. The said man's eyes narrowed even further at her impertinence.

"Sakura-chan," Naruto's anxious voice cut in before anything more could be said from her. "What are you doing out here?"

"I was gonna ask you the same question," the rosette directed to Naruto, yet resumed her stare down with the older male. A sneer emerged on the sexy lips of the brunette, and Sakura could feel a self-satisfied grin tugging her lips. _You can act uninterested all you'd like, _the Haruno girl mused. _I will have you, yet. _"So, who's your friend?" she decided to ask, slyly.

Just as the dark headed male opened his mouth to rebuff her, Naruto's voice lifted an octave to reply, "No one you should concern yourself with." The other two were stunned to find the once unease in Naruto's voice modified into a sharp edge of tone so hastily.

The older of the males frowned in response to the blond's hostility. He could detect a hint of jealousy in Naruto's tenor, an emotion in which he would have felt smug about at any other time. Still, he refused to be brushed off in such a manner in front of a misinformed teenage girl.

"I'm Uchiha Sasuke," he introduced coolly, ignoring the warning look he received from the blond. "Naruto's boyfriend."

Sakura's face flushed again, this time from mortification. "B-Boyfriend?" she squeaked. "Oh, I'm sorry Naruto," she directly said to her male friend. "I didn't realize**—**"

"Forget about it, Sakura-chan," Naruto grumbled, still clearly upset with her for flirting outwardly with his lover.

"Um, okay," she responded, feeling bad. "Well, I, uh, guess I'll head back to the cabin now. Sorry for intruding." And with that, Sakura spun on her heel and stalked in the opposite direction, her pajamas a colorful blur as her walking hurried.

"One of your friends, I presume?" questioned Sasuke snidely after Sakura had gone out of hearing range.

"Why did you do that?" Naruto asked heatedly, disregarding the Uchiha's inquiry as he settled his angered, blue eyes on him.

"What is it that you _think _I did?" the older countered, his own anger building from within.

"Stop answering my questions with your own questions," the golden teen almost snapped. "I wanna know why you thought it was okay to interfere like that. I had wanted to tell my mom and my friends about you without any complications."

"What difference does it make, Naruto? You were going to reveal our relationship today anyway. And I didn't like how that girl was coming onto me."

Naruto gave a slight scowl, his jealousy seeping into his expression. "You made the situation worse by telling her your name. Now she's going to be curious about you."

If he had been anyone else, Sasuke would've rolled his eyes. "You're driving my patience, dope. Didn't I already tell you it didn't matter when you told them**—**?"

"I'm not talking about that," Naruto clarified, trying to calm himself down. The last thing he wanted to do was argue with his lover. "It's pretty obvious that my friend Sakura is interested in you, and that interest won't disappear just because she knows we're together. She'll probably hound me to find out more about you."

"Hn, I could care less about some lovesick girl. You and I both know I find girls extremely annoying. I love you and only you."

Naruto's mouth unconsciously lifted in a semblance of a smile. "You are such an ass," he joked before he lost his humor, gliding his hand through his locks. "Sorry, I guess I'm letting this whole relationship-reveal-fiasco stress me out. You're right," he concurred. "It doesn't matter when they know; they'll know eventually, eh?"

"I'm glad you're finally agreeing with me," Sasuke muttered with a smirk prior to wrapping his arms once more around the younger male.

Naruto returned the hug as he stated softly, "Don't make me regret this, Sasuke."

"I wouldn't think of it," the Uchiha replied in confidence, pressing a tender kiss to Naruto's forehead. "I'll be close by, so give me a call after you've told them."

Naruto nodded his head as he nestled his boyfriend's chest. The couple then stood together in the hub of the dirt trail for several more needless minutes before the males reluctantly pulled away. Naruto watched with yearning as the dark haired male ambled to the driver's side of the automobile and entered inside. With a half-hearted wave of his hand, the blond viewed the older back his car previous to putting the gear into drive and zooming forward. His heart figuratively jumped in his throat once he turned to face the cabin; his legs nearly buckling when he walked to the front door.

* * *

Worn tennis shoes dashed side by side as lean, tanned legs sprinted on a familiar pathway. Naruto breathed in and out harshly as he finished the last mile of his usual jog, his anxiety ebbing a bit. It had been two hours since he and Sasuke had parted, and the blue eyed teen was mentally preparing himself for the talk he was bound to have with his mother and friends.

Coming across the entrance of the cabin, the Uzumaki subsequently opened and closed the door to stroll into the lounging room. He greeted Kushina speedily as he passed her in the kitchen, overlooking the concerned appearance on her face as she proceeded to cook breakfast. Naruto was on his way to the bathroom to shower, yet did a double take as he peeked into his chosen room.

Sakura was sitting on the perimeter of his bed, her strawberry tresses damp from what Naruto assumed must have been an earlier shower or bath. Her hands were folded in her lap, and she was biting her lower lip as she raised her head upward to gaze at him. The girl's outfit was informal, but a little revealing; the auburn skirt she was wearing being too short. She blushed somewhat when Naruto slinked nearer into the room.

"Naruto-kun," she began with the honorific before he could ask what she was doing there. "I know you're probably angry at me, but I felt that I ought to apologize to you again for hitting on Sasuke-ku—I mean, Uchiha-san in front of you like that. It was totally uncalled for."

Instead of saying something spiteful like a tiny part of him wanted to, Naruto said in a flippant tone, "Like I said before—forget about it."

"No, I can't just let it go," she differed, standing from the bed. "Not when I know my best friend is upset with me."

"I'm not upset with you," he half lied.

"You're such a horrible liar," Sakura declared with a grimace. "I could see how mad you are with me. I wish you had told me you had a boyfriend. Please tell me you guys weren't together when you were messing around with—"

"Don't even go there, Sakura."

The pink haired girl blinked, taken aback with the blond's icy tone. "I-I'm sorry. I'm just wondering why you never told me about him."

Naruto sighed, his adrenaline pumping as he fought with himself to not snap at his friend. "I actually _did _mention him once; it's just always been a sore subject."

"When did you mention him? I don't recall you telling me about him before."

The cerulean eyed male debated in his mind on whether he should tell Sakura about his relationship with Sasuke now or wait until he had talked with his mother. After numerous minutes, 'now' won out when Sakura stared at him expectantly. "Remember when I told you that my sister Ino had a boyfriend whom cheated on her?" he inquired, his voice unconsciously lowering.

"Yeah," the girl verified. "You had said something about her boyfriend using her."

"Well…I didn't tell you the whole story," Naruto took an extended pause and then decided to continue when Sakura gave him a bewildered look. "To put it simply, her boyfriend used her to get closer to me. He wanted me."

Sakura gasped in a dramatic fashion. "Oh my gosh, so her boyfriend was gay?!" When Naruto slowly nodded, she asked half jokingly. "You didn't sleep with him, did you?"

"…I did," Naruto admitted gradually in whisper, causing Sakura's green eyes to enlarge. "I still am, as a matter of fact."

It didn't take the rosette's bright mind to put the pieces together. "Uchiha Sasuke is your sister's ex-boyfriend, isn't he?" With another nod sent her way, Sakura resumed with, "So, let's see if I have this correctly: Uchiha Sasuke, your current boyfriend, dated your sister, yet cheated on her with you, her younger brother?"

"That's pretty much sums it up, yeah."

Sakura was silent for far too long, a weird, contemplative expression overcoming her face. Naruto opened his mouth, wanting to take everything he said back. His female friend beat him to the punch as she finally said with a soft voice, "Um, wow. That is drama for your momma." Naruto winced at the word 'momma', the saying hitting too close to home. "Not to sound like a complete bitch, but…that is the most messed up thing I have ever heard."

The recognizable feelings of shame and guilt rose within Naruto as he bowed his head. No matter how much time went by, the blond would forever identify that he was partly responsible for the rift between him and his family. And the fact that Sasuke was pushing for him to reveal the two of them being together made the situation that much worse.

"I know," he eventually consented, raising his head back up. "That's the reason why my mother sent me to that fucking boarding school in the first place. She didn't want me and Sasuke being in contact."

"I can imagine," said Sakura before a thought occurred to her. "So, I assume Kushina-san doesn't know about the two of you now, since I found you guys so early in the morning."

"No, at least not yet," Naruto answered slowly. "I…I was going to tell you, her, and Tenten-chan later today."

"You were going to tell us what, honey?"

Both Naruto and Sakura balked at the unexpected voice, their heads turning toward the doorway where Kushina and Tenten were standing. The older of the women had a curious look on her face as she gazed at her son. She had heard Naruto's and Sakura's voices from the kitchenette; yet, she had been too preoccupied to distinguish what the teens had been talking about. Right as she had been on her way to tell the three that breakfast was ready, she had caught the last of Naruto's sentence, and had been interested to know what he had been saying.

Naruto had a 'deer-caught-in-the-headlights' look, unsure of how he should commence. He had told Sasuke, Sakura, and even himself that he would talk to his mom; nonetheless the moment had sprung up on him sooner than he had anticipated. He could feel his heart pumping, speedily, painfully, and the sensation was literally making him sick to his stomach.

Taking a deep breath to calm the nerves in his veins, Naruto started with, "Ka-chan, I…have something to tell you. Come and sit down," he gestured to the bed with his hand. Kushina gave the other a skeptical gape but did what was told of her. "Tenten-chan, you should hear this too," he said to his brown haired friend whom made her way to the bed as well.

"What is it, Naruto?" Kushina asked. Tenten, in response to the redhead's query, stared at the blond, nonplussed.

"…I haven't been completely honest with any of you," the blond teen replied dolefully. "And I don't know how to say this without hurting anyone, so I'm gonna be blunt—for the past month or so, I have been secretly seeing Uchiha Sasuke," he began to ramble as he saw the shocked appearance on his mom's countenance. "We love each other and we want to be together, and I want you all to approve…" Naruto trailed off his words as Kushina's face went from shocked to stone faced.

"Wait—who's Uchiha Sasuke?" inquired Tenten, wanting to smooth the tension that had developed in the air.

Naruto looked at the brunette female, enlightening her on his illicit affair with Sasuke. He then turned to his mom as soon as he was done explaining to the wide-eyed Tenten. "Ka-chan…are…are you going to say anything?" When the violet-blue eyed woman resumed her silence, Naruto internally groaned. _It's just like it was a year and a half ago…_

After what felt like a lifetime—which was truthfully a few minutes—Kushina finally spoke, asking in a deadpanned tone. "So, you were lying to me the whole time, weren't you?"

"No, no, not at all!" Naruto denied, bending down near his mother's lap in order to be at her eye-level. "It didn't start at that way. I really was staying true to your rules, even though I hated it. I met Sasuke again at the mall in July, and that's when everything—"

"I don't want to hear it," was Kushina's flat reply. All three teens winced, prompting Sakura and Tenten to leave the room to give the mother and son some privacy.

"Okasan…" the blond reverted to the proper title, but couldn't find it in himself to finish.

Kushina stood upward, causing Naruto in a stance also. "You wanted me to trust you," she started coldly. "Yet, you were going behind my back, no doubt sleeping with that Uchiha whom has brought many other boys to his bed."

"Okasan, that's—"

"And to top it all off, you sprout ridiculous notions about how the two of you are in love when really that same boy isn't capable of love. He's using you, Naruto, just like he used Ino."

"That's not true!" Naruto nearly exploded, yet part of him believed his mom's words. "How could you say something like that about a person you barely know? Sasuke is one of my precious people, and I'll be damned if I let you continue to talk about him that way."

Kushina appeared stunned at the other's outburst all but a few seconds prior to shutting off her outer emotions with a blank face. Squaring her shoulders, she then took several steps forward. Just as she was about to reach the doorway, she halted her walking. Naruto's stomach dropped as the next five words left her mouth.

"I need you to leave."

Naruto was flabbergasted. "You're…You're kicking me out…?"

The red headed Uzumaki's shoulders sagged a bit as she said dismally, "I'm not kicking you out, Naruto, but I can't be around you right now. So, why don't you go for another jog or something? I need to clear my thoughts."

Naruto stayed rooted where he stood as his mother left the room, his body immobilized in a shudder for a few minutes. He blinked back the sting in his eyes once he was poised enough, stalking to his drawer to take out some essentials. After he changed into a pair of Levi jeans, he then departed from his bedroom. He stopped in front of his mom's closed door, pressing his ear against the wood to make sure she was in the bedroom.

Recognizing that Kushina was in fact inside the room, he said loud enough for her to hear, "I never meant to hurt you, Ka-chan, but I couldn't take the secrecy anymore," he paused awhile before saying resolutely. "After I graduate, I'm leaving for good. So you won't have to worry about how much of a disappointment I am." Without an answering response, Naruto continued his trek through the hall, unaware of the sobs coming from his mother's bedroom.

Stepping into the lounging room, the blond was unsurprised to find his female friends sitting down on the couch, waiting for him. Sakura was the first to speak as she removed herself from the sofa to come and stand in front of the Uzumaki.

"Shit, Naruto, are you okay? I can't help but feel this is my fault. If I hadn't said anything**—**"

"This wasn't your fault, Sakura-chan," interjected Naruto calmly. "Truthfully, I kinda knew this was how my mother was going to react; that's why I held off telling her for so long."

"Are you really gonna leave?" the brunette of the group asked him, indirectly revealing that she and Sakura had heard the whole argument.

"For awhile. My mom apparently can't be around me," the blue eyed male said bitterly. "It might be best if you two left as well," he stated thoughtfully, his voice softening. "I wouldn't want you guys to be around all this tension."

Sakura was about to object when Tenten elbowed her in the side. "We understand," the brown haired teen replied. "I'll give my Dad a call. Thanks for having us here. It was fun."

Naruto nodded his head, embracing the girls at the same time. In spite of all the pessimism, he was glad that his friends hadn't judged him. Yes, they had been shocked, but that was to be expected. He wasn't sure how he would've function if Sakura and Tenten had rejected him too.

With a final kiss to both girls' cheeks, Naruto afterwards exited from the cabin, heading toward the edge of the dirt path. He dug in his pocket to retrieve his cellular phone, punching in the number that was quickly becoming a safe refuge for him.

"Hey, S'uke," he spoke unevenly into his mobile after the receiver picked up. "Can you come and get me? I need you."

* * *

Sasuke watched in hidden compassion as his lover just stared momentarily at the food that was offered to him, seemingly being in his own little world. After Naruto had called him, Sasuke had been swift in picking him up from the woodlands. The moment the raven had pulled into the dirt filled driveway and hopped out of the vehicle, Naruto had clung to him, his face the picture of sadness. Sasuke had been essentially stunned that the teen hadn't been crying, although he had looked seconds from it.

In an attempt to take the blond's mind off his mother, Sasuke had taken him to a stylish food establishment thirty five miles away, complete with all the calories one person can handle. The restaurant wasn't as elegant as the _Whirlwind_, but it had character. And even though the method of distraction was working enough, the blond's movements were still too defeated, his legs fidgety as he sat on the other side of Sasuke.

"I know you can eat more than that," the Uchiha tried to quip, folding his arms across his chest. Naruto released a small snort, tearing off a piece of bread that was on his plate to eat. Sasuke smirked in reaction; it hadn't been the blond's full fledged laughter, but it would do.

Taking a bite of his morsel, Naruto seemed inquisitive as he questioned out of the blue, "How do you manage it, Sasuke?"

"Manage what?" the older asked back, gnawing on his own given meal.

"Being renounced from your family."

Sasuke found himself flinching at the sudden inquiry, wondering how he could respond to such a delicate subject. The two of them, of course, had talked about their troubles with their families, yet they had never actually delved into the 'emotional' aspects of their problems. The topic was almost on the verge of being taboo for the both of them.

"You don't have to answer that," Naruto quickly amended when he saw the older's reaction. "It was a bit insensitive; I shouldn't have brought it up."

"It's…fine, Naruto," Sasuke said after he had gotten control of himself. He took a lengthy break before he started with, "You ask how I manage it? I take each day at a time, keeping myself busy."

"Do you ever…think back on everything and somehow…blame me?" Naruto fidgeted a bit more as he leisurely consumed his food.

Sasuke snapped his head at the blond sharply, frowning. "Never," he said with finality. _Besides, this situation would've happened regardless, just with another person, _the raven said in his mind. He knew saying such aloud would've hurt his beloved. "Why, do _you_ blame _me_?" His eyes narrowed at the thought.

"No," Naruto muttered, and meant it to a fault. He just wished that Sasuke hadn't been so pushy with the matter. "I don't blame you."

The following twenty minutes consisted of the couple eating in silence, the quiet more than telling. For Sasuke, the silence represented a part of the weight that had been lifted from both of their shoulders. True, he felt bad that Naruto was upset, but he couldn't be more satisfied that their relationship was out in the open, and that there would be no more secrets.

After they had completed their meals, Sasuke and Naruto paid the waiter previous to ambling out of the building. Naruto looked at the older inquiringly as he and the Uchiha climbed into the latter's car.

"Where're taking me?" the teen asked, clipping his seat belt.

"Wherever you'd like to go," Sasuke was fleet with his answer.

Naruto pondered the reply for less than ten seconds. "I liked to go dancing."

Sasuke raised a single eyebrow, a smirk making its way to his lips. Since there were no bars or clubs in the area, (nor would the places be open, anyway), Sasuke settled on driving his blond haired desire to another patch of vacant land; the lake from behind the cabins extending to a different locality. Putting the vehicle into 'park', the brunette then turned up the radio loudly.

Naruto understood his idea, shooting out of the car and running to the flat meadow. "Come dance with me, Sasuke!" he yelled excitedly, his body swaying from side to side.

Sasuke did walk towards the other, yet had no intention of dancing with him. Naruto didn't give him much of a choice as he grasped the older's shirt and pulled him to the forefront. The blond sexily grinded his hips against his boyfriend's, and all Sasuke could do was watch with rapt attention.

"You're not much of a dancer, are you?" Naruto teased.

Sasuke grunted as he stood still. "I was taught many ballroom dances, primarily the waltz."

"You think you could teach me?"

"Not on this slippery grass, no," Sasuke retorted, wrapping his arms around the other's waist as the two resumed their movements.

The pair of males danced into the better part of the morning, Sasuke detaching from his lover after some time. The Uchiha was content with just viewing; the blond's dancing was made up of hip thrusting, body rocking, spinning, back flipping, and dipping. Naruto ultimately stopped his swaying after he had been dancing for more than two hours straight.

"You feel better?" asked Sasuke when Naruto sat down on the grass to rest.

"A little," Naruto spoke in a huff before he hastily stood on his feet to say, "I want to go skinny dipping now."

Sasuke chuckled lowly as Naruto grabbed his arm and dragged him to the edge of the lake. The two then shed themselves of their clothing, their said articles being tossed casually to the bank. A vibration buzzed from the pocket of Naruto's pants, but both males ignored it, taking off into the lake. The obsidian eyed man ogled the younger eagerly as Naruto ducked into the water, his libido kicking in high gear. Sasuke gripped a tan globe in delight as he swam closer to his beloved.

After they had swum for awhile, Sasuke crept behind Naruto to whisper in his ear, "I think it's my turn to choose an activity."

Leading his lover to the lush plain, Sasuke then sat the two of them down, leaning forward to give the blond a sweet kiss. Naruto responded in kind, his tongue sliding out to lick the plump seam of Sasuke's lips. The raven groaned at the stimulation, using his body to push Naruto downward. The two afterward resumed their lip lock, eventually rubbing their lower halves against one another.

It was lovemaking in its purest form, with the both of them finding completion with each other devoid of any penetration. The pair extracted their bodies from one another, lying on their backs, panting as the heated sun warmed their skin.

Letting out a last breath, Naruto revolved his head to look at his spent boyfriend. His hand then reached out to smooth down the moist bangs of the Uchiha. Sasuke gave a half smile at the other's loving touch, a touch plunged in thanks for both the courtship and the distraction from his heartache. The sapphire eyed boy was still slightly saddened, but he appreciated the sentiment all the same.

As the morning changed into the afternoon, Sasuke and Naruto put their clothes back on and entered inside the older's vehicle. While they were making their way back to the rented cabin, Naruto checked his phone, noticing several missed calls and texts from his mother. He swallowed down his intended groan and instead clenched his teeth. Redialing his mother's number to at least let her know he was on his way, he then brought the mobile to his ear.

He was _so _not looking forward to seeing his mom.

* * *

Pale hands gripped a sheet of white paper almost desperately, the contents of the page bringing flashes of elation, longing, and reprisal. Shimura Sai was nothing short of being a thorough individual, and with the information he had gathered from a reliable source, he could easily admit that he was quite brilliant in his findings.

It was currently the first of September, which meant that school would be back in session within the next two days. Sai was looking forward to it; he was counting on Naruto being wary of him, but at the same time, having his guard a bit down. That's what the threatening calls and messages had been about; acting more as a scare tactic than anything. It didn't matter that Naruto's mother had tried to intimidate him; Sai figured that the tactic would work to his advantage. And that was exactly what the black haired teen wanted. He wanted to catch the blond off his game, and take him when the opportunity presented itself.

An image of the blue eyed male surfaced in Shimura's mind, causing a wicked leer to overwhelm on Sai's countenance. He licked his lips as he glanced down at the paper unseeingly, envisaging fucking the little traitor into the ground. He wasn't sure if he was lying or not about telling the blond that he loved him. Sai did know that he had to have felt _something_; whether that was love or lust, he wasn't positive. He had been brought up to think of emotions such a 'love' as a weakness.

With his loins mounting into a frenzy with the Uzumaki's picture in his thoughts, Sai slithered his hand down his chest, intending on reliving some pressure. Just as he was about to open the buttons to his fly, the door to the teen's bedroom was all but slammed open as an elderly man wrapped in bandages came forward.

"The trash needs to be emptied out today, boy," Shimura Danzo, Sai's grandfather, hissed authoritatively, a wooden cane held on his side.

"Give me a minute," the raven answered carelessly before the words came back to him. He was about to beg for forgiveness when a harsh blow abruptly slammed in the middle of his forehead, his hand haste in lifting to hold the painful area as he cried out. Danzo's face was nonchalant as he gradually brought down his weapon—the cane.

"Don't you talk that way to me," Danzo said in a cold tone. "I raised you to respect me, and you _will _honor my wishes."

Bending down near his bed to alleviate some the throbbing, Sai peered at his grandfather through his peripherals, wanting to scowl at the old man but refraining. He instead adopted an unemotional façade as he murmured, "Yes, sir. Forgive me."

The older male sneered in derision. "The things I do for an ungrateful brat like you," he responded. "Clean out the trash. _Now._" Danzo then rotated on his feet and left the room with another slam of the door.

Standing upward after he had picked up the fallen sheet, Sai then stared impassively at the closed barrier for a number of seconds before dropping the paper on his bed and exiting from his bedroom. He stalked through the long halls, heading in the direction of the kitchen where the large trash bin was located. The trash pickup wasn't for another three days, yet Danzo constantly had to have the bin cleared out, more than likely to lessen the unpleasant odor.

Taking the full garbage bag out of the bin, Sai subsequently came out of his grandfather's three-story manor and walked to the half acre backyard, the outer trash bin situated on the wall of the fence. As he pitched the trash inside, his mind roamed to his ill-mannered grandfather, the hatred he felt for him evolving.

Danzo had gained custody of him and his older brother Shin after the boys' parents had died in a plane crash nine years before. The older Shimura had always been strict, but his behavior seemed even more enhanced with his grandsons since he didn't approve of them. Shin had had cancer since he had been a small child, and Sai had been interested in the same sex; the siblings' differences had clashed with Danzo's old school way of thinking.

It merely became worse after Shin had succumbed to his cancer, his death having taken place a year prior. With Shin being gone, Sai had to receive his grandfather's punishments all alone, the older male's penalties all the more cruel and unusual. For that very reason, the dark headed teen's emotions were haywire, ranging from extreme to apathetic.

Ambling back inside of the manor after he had thrown all the trash out, Sai directed himself to the bathroom across from his room; his forehead was still in pain and he wanted to take some medication to ease the ache. Opening the medicine cabinet, his mind morphed from his grandfather back to his blond haired fling.

Naruto's enticing smile emerged in his head, and it made Sai's faux grin appear. Oh, yes, he was definitely going to take the younger when he least expected. _He'll deserve it after the way he strung me along, and the fact that he already has a lover. _

His fake smile fell suddenly as a heated glower replaced it on his mouth. Although he had accused Naruto of having someone else, he originally hadn't been sure. It wasn't until he had phoned a friend whom lived in Naruto's city did he know absolutely. In accordance to what his friend had seen, Naruto had been at the mall with another male, their body language being too intimate to be thought of as a regular friendship.

It pissed Sai off to no end that Naruto would choose another person over him. If the blond whore wasn't so difficult, Sai could show him all the pleasure he could ever want. He would make Naruto forget all about the other man. And if need be, Sai would get rid of Naruto's lover without a second thought.

Gulping down the pills he had found, Sai then walked to his bedroom, shutting his door softly. He made his way to his bed, lying on the center of the crisp duvet. His eyes strayed to the ceiling, the smooth flatness making his eyelids heavy as the afternoon sun created orange shadows in his room. Before he knew it, his eyes shut and he had fallen into slumber.

His grandfather's demanding voice was the sound to awaken him, precisely two and a half hours later, the darkness of the night enveloping his space. Rubbing at his eyes with a swipe of his right hand, Sai afterwards moved into an upright position. He was inactively listening to Danzo commanding him from a distance that he was expected to cook for the two of them.

"Yes, sir," Sai repeated loudly, his jaw set firmly. Not only was he looking forward to breaking Naruto, he was also looking forward to getting away from the old man for a matter of months. It seemed that the boarding school was useful for some things, after all.

Hauling his body from off of his bed, the Shimura male gave a last look to the paper still on his covers before leaving the security of his room. Written on one of the lines of the paper was the address to Naruto's house.


End file.
